< Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic

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
  • *gasmīþiją
  • *smīþō

Descendants

References
  1. Orel, Vladimir (2003) “*smiþaz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 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
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