Etymology

smoke

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Today it means: The visible vapor/vapour, gases, and fine particles given off by burning or smoldering material. Full definition →

Middle English smoke ← Old English smoca
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smoke · noun1

  1. Old English · inherited fromsmoca“smoke”
  2. Middle English · inherited fromsmoke
  3. English todaysmoke

From Middle English smoke, from Old English smoca (“smoke”), probably a derivative of the verb (see below). Related to Dutch smook (“smoke”), Middle Low German smôk (“smoke”), German Schmauch (“smoke (from a gun barrel)”).

smoke · verb2

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)mewg-“to smoke”
  2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*smaukaną“to smoke”
  3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*smukōną“to smoke”
  4. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*smokōn
  5. Old English · inherited fromsmocian“to smoke, to emit smoke”
  6. Middle English · inherited fromsmoken
  7. English todaysmoke

From Middle English smoken, from Old English smocian (“to smoke, to emit smoke”), from Proto-West Germanic *smokōn, from Proto-Germanic *smukōną (“to smoke”), ablaut derivative of Proto-Germanic *smaukaną (“to smoke”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mewg- (“to smoke”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian smookje (“to smoke”), West Frisian smoke (“to smoke”), Dutch smoken (“to smoke”), Low German smöken (“to smoke”), German Low German smoken (“to smoke”). Related also to Old English smēocan (“to smoke, emit smoke; fumigate”), Bavarian schmuckelen (“to smell bad, reek”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.