*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of smart

From Middle English smerten, from Old English *smeortan (“to smart”), from Proto-West Germanic *smertan, from Proto-Germanic *smertaną (“to hurt, ache”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- (“to bite, sting”). Cognate wit

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To hurt or sting. · To cause a smart or sting in. · To feel a pungent pain of mind; to feel sharp pain or grief; to be punished severely; to feel the sting of evil.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English smerten, from Old English *smeortan (“to smart”), from Proto-West Germanic *smertan, from Proto-Germanic *smertaną (“to hurt, ache”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- (“to bite, sting”). Cognate with Scots smert, Dutch smarten, German schmerzen, Danish smerte, Swedish smärta.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
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      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)merd-"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "smerten"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English smerten"
    },
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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
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        "2": "ang",
        "3": "*smeortan",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to smart"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English *smeortan (“to smart”)"
    },
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        "2": "gmw-pro",
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      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *smertan"
    },
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        "2": "gem-pro",
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        "4": "",
        "5": "to hurt, ache"
      },
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    },
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      "name": "der",
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      },
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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "smert"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots smert"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "smarten"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch smarten"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "schmerzen"
      },
      "expansion": "German schmerzen"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "smerte"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish smerte"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "smärta"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish smärta"
    }
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  "links": [
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      "Reconstruction:Old English/smeortan"
    ],
    [
      "*smertan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/smertan"
    ],
    [
      "*smertaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/smertaną"
    ],
    [
      "*(s)merd-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/(s)merd-"
    ],
    [
      "smert",
      "smert#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "smarten",
      "smarten#Dutch"
    ],
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      "schmerzen",
      "schmerzen#German"
    ],
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    ],
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      "smärta#Swedish"
    ]
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      "pos": "verb",
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
adj

Exhibiting social ability or cleverness. · Exhibiting intellectual knowledge, such as that found in books. · Equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology). · Good-looking; well dressed; fine; fashionable.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English smert, smart, from Old English smeart (“smarting, smart, painful”), from Proto-West Germanic *smart, from Proto-Germanic *smartaz (“hurting, aching”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- (“to bite, sting”). Cognate with Scots smert (“painful, smart”), Old Frisian smert (“sharp, painful”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionsmertenm
  • Inherited-form mentionsmeartang · smarting, smart, painful
  • Inherited-form mention*smartgmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*smartazgem-pro · hurting, aching
  • Derivation mention*(s)merd-ine-pro · to bite, sting
  • Cognate mentionsmertsco · painful, smart
  • Cognate mentionsmertofs · sharp, painful

This page abbreviates 9 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "smert"
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    },
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    },
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    },
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        "2": "gem-pro",
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    },
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    },
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        "2": "smert",
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      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ofs",
        "2": "smert",
        "t": "sharp, painful"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Frisian smert (“sharp, painful”)"
    }
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      "smart",
      "smart#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "smeart#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*smart",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/smart"
    ],
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      "*smartaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/smartaz"
    ],
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      "*(s)merd-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/(s)merd-"
    ],
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      "smert",
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      "lang_code": "da",
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      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "word": "smart",
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    },
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      "lang_code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
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      ],
      "descendants": [
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          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "lang_code": "nb",
          "word": "smart"
        },
        {
          "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
          "lang_code": "nn",
          "word": "smart"
        }
      ]
    },
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      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "word": "smart",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
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  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
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        "Exhibiting social ability or cleverness.",
        "Exhibiting intellectual knowledge, such as that found in books.",
        "Equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology).",
        "Good-looking; well dressed; fine; fashionable."
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A sharp, quick, lively pain; a sting. · Mental pain or suffering; grief; affliction. · Clipping of smart money. · A dandy; one who is smart in dress; one who is brisk, vivacious, or clever.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English smerte, from smerten (“to smart”); see above. Cognate with Scots smert, Dutch smart, Low German smart, German Schmerz, Danish smerte, Swedish smärta. More above.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "der",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "smerte"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English smerte"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
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        "2": "smert"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots smert"
    },
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
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      },
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
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        "2": "Schmerz"
      },
      "expansion": "German Schmerz"
    },
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        "2": "smerte"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish smerte"
    },
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        "1": "sv",
        "2": "smärta"
      },
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    }
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

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Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c21hcnQ