*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of sniff

From Middle English sniffen, of imitative origin.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 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.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
intj

A short inhalation sound, sometimes associated with crying.

noun

An instance of sniffing. · A quantity of something that is inhaled through the nose. · A brief perception, or tiny amount. · Cocaine.

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

From Middle English sniffen, of imitative origin.

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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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "sniffen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English sniffen"
    },
    {
      "name": "onomatopoeic",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "title": "imitative"
      },
      "expansion": "imitative"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "sniffen",
      "sniffen#Middle_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "A short inhalation sound, sometimes associated with crying."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "An instance of sniffing.",
        "A quantity of something that is inhaled through the nose.",
        "A brief perception, or tiny amount.",
        "Cocaine."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "colloquial",
        "slang",
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      ],
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}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something; to smell (something). · To say (something) while sniffing, such as in case of illness or unhappiness, or in contempt. · To inhale drugs (usually cocaine) through the nose, usually in powder form. · To be dismissive or contemptuous of something; used with at.

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

From Middle English sniffen, of imitative origin.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

This page abbreviates 3 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": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "sniffen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English sniffen"
    },
    {
      "name": "onomatopoeic",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "title": "imitative"
      },
      "expansion": "imitative"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "sniffen",
      "sniffen#Middle_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "lang_code": "he",
      "word": "הִסְנִיף",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "hisníf"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Italian",
      "lang_code": "it",
      "word": "sniffare",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "word": "snifar",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "word": "esnifar",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "lang_code": "ca",
      "word": "esnifar",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "word": "sniffa",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "word": "sniffer",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something; to smell (something).",
        "To say (something) while sniffing, such as in case of illness or unhappiness, or in contempt.",
        "To inhale drugs (usually cocaine) through the nose, usually in powder form.",
        "To be dismissive or contemptuous of something; used with at."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive",
        "transitive",
        "UK",
        "slang",
        "figuratively"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 248639
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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.

Contribute located evidence for sniff →

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-c25pZmY