smiþ

Forms

smiþ m (strong a-stem; genitive singular smiþes, nominative plural smiþas)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *smiþ, from Proto-Germanic *smiþaz (“craftsman, smith”).^[1][2] The noun is shared with Old Norse smiðr, Old Frisian smith, Old Saxon smith and Old High German smid;^[2][3] Gothic has the n-stem in Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌶𐌰𐍃𐌼𐌹𐌸𐌰 (aizasmiþa, “coppersmith”).^[2][3]

The origin is unclear.^[4][1] Orel takes it as a *-to- derivative of Proto-Indo-European *smey- (“to spread, smear”), comparing Ancient Greek σμάω (smáō, “to smear”).^[2] Wiktionary finds that comparison formally difficult.^[1] Holthausen and Köbler instead group it with a root for carving, the root of Ancient Greek σμίλη (smílē, “carving knife”).^[5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In The Gifts of Men in the Exeter Book (manuscript s. x²) modcræftig smið “a skilful smith” makes helmets, daggers, mail-coats and swords for war.^[6][7] The Old English Bede, whose Tanner manuscript Gneuss and Lapidge date s. x in. or xi¹, tells of a monk who was a smith (þes smið).^[8][7]

Semantic evolution

The word names a worker in metal, and also one in wood: the Colloquy has se smiþ for “ferrarius” beside se treówyrhta for the carpenter, and the glossaries give it for “faber”.^[9] Köbler glosses it also as carpenter and craftsman.^[3] In Beowulf it is the maker of arms, wǣpna smið.^[10] The Lindisfarne glossator renders Joseph as “filius fabri” with wrihtes sunu vel smiðes sunu “the wright's or smith's son”.^[11][7] It continues as Middle English smyth, now English smith.^[1][12]

Timeline

• s. x² – modcræftig smið in The Gifts of Men in the Exeter Book.^[6][7]
• s. x³/⁴ – smiðes sunu in the Lindisfarne Gospels gloss.^[11][7]
• s. x/xi – smiþes orþancum “by the smith's skill” in the Beowulf manuscript.^[13][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. a smith, a worker in metals.^[9][10]
2. a worker in wood, a carpenter; a craftsman.^[9][3]

Word family

• goldsmiþ
• īrensmiþ
• wundorsmiþ
• smiþcræft
• smiþþe

Descendants

• Middle English smyth (→ English smith; Scots smith; Scots smyth)^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 354
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. smiþ
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
5. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. 302
6. ^ a b Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 223
7. ^ a b c d e f Healey, Antonette diPaolo; Price Wilkin, John; Xiang, Xin, eds. (2009), Dictionary of Old English Web Corpus, Toronto: Dictionary of Old English Project
8. ^ Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 531
9. ^ a b c Bosworth, Joseph; Toller, T. Northcote (1898), An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press; Toller, T. Northcote (1921), Supplement, p. 889
10. ^ a b Fulk, R. D.; Bjork, Robert E.; Niles, John D., eds. (2008), Klaeber's Beowulf and The Fight at Finnsburg, 4th ed., Toronto: University of Toronto Press (glossary), p. s.v. smið
11. ^ a b Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 291
12. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
13. ^ Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 344