Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/smiþaz

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Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/smiþaz

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Alternative forms

• *smiþô (found in one compound in Gothic)

Etymology

Likely related to *smītaną, *smit(t)ōną (“to strike; to smudge”), but the origin is uncertain. Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *smey- (“to smear, spread”) +‎ *-t-, if the root is cognate with Ancient Greek σμάω (smáō, “to smear, wipe”),[1] but this comes with formal difficulties and the similarity may well be coincidental. For the semantics, Orel compares Proto-Slavic *kaliti (“to temper (of metals)”) versus *kalъ (“dirt”)—though their connection is also disputed—and assumes an intermediate meaning “to dip [metal] into liquid”. Per Kroonen, the suffix may be an agentive tu-stem (see Proto-Indo-European *-tus and Proto-Germanic *-þuz), but no further etymology is given.[2]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsmi.θɑz/

Noun

*smiþaz m[1]

1. craftsman, smith

Alternative reconstructions

• *smiþuz (u-stem)[2]

Inflection

masculine a-stemDeclension of *smiþaz (masculine a-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*smiþaz	*smiþōz, *smiþōs
vocative	*smiþ	*smiþōz, *smiþōs
accusative	*smiþą	*smiþanz
genitive	*smiþas, *smiþis	*smiþǫ̂
dative	*smiþai	*smiþamaz
instrumental	*smiþō	*smiþamiz

Derived terms

• *aizasmiþô
• *gulþasmiþaz
• *smiþjǭ
• *smiþōną

Related terms

• *gasmīþiją
• *smīþō

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *smiþ
  • Old English: smiþ
    • Middle English: smyth
      • English: smith
      • Scots: smith, smyth
  • Old Frisian: smith, smeth, smid
    • Saterland Frisian: Smid
    • West Frisian: smid
  • Old Saxon: smith
    • Middle Low German: smit, smet, smede
      • German Low German: Smidd

        Plautdietsch: Schmett

  • Old Dutch: *smith
    • Middle Dutch: smit
      • Dutch: smid
        • Afrikaans: smid
        • Negerhollands: smid
        • → Munsee: shumát
        • → Papiamentu: smet, smid
        • → Sranan Tongo: smeti, smitti
          • → Saramaccan: simítima
        • → Unami: shëmìt, shmìt
      • Limburgish: smeid, smieëd
  • Old High German: smid
    • Middle High German: smit
      • Alemannic German: Schmid

        Italian Walser: schméd, schmét, schmid, schmìd

      • Bavarian:

        Cimbrian: smit, smitt

        Mòcheno: schmi'

        Udinese: schmidt, schmit, sghmiid

      • German: Schmied
      • Hunsrik: Schmitt
      • Luxembourgish: Schmadd
      • Vilamovian: śmejt
      • Yiddish: שמיד‎ (shmid)
• Old Norse: smiðr
  • Icelandic: smiður
  • Faroese: smiður
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: smed
  • Norwegian Bokmål: smed
  • Elfdalian: smið
  • Old Swedish: smiþer
    • Swedish: smed
  • Old Danish:
    • Danish: smed
• Gothic: *𐍃𐌼𐌹𐌸𐌰 (*smiþa) (< *smiþô)

References

1. Orel, Vladimir (2003), “*smiþaz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 354–355
2. Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*smiþu-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 460