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”), 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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsmi.θɑz/

Noun

*smiþaz m

1. craftsman, smith

Alternative reconstructions

• *smiþuz (u-stem)

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: Smitt, Smidd, Smedd

        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)