smithereens

Pronunciation

• IPA: /smɪðəˈɹiːnz/ (UK); /ˌsmɪðəˈɹinz/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Irish smidirín,^[2][3][4] a diminutive of smiodar “fragment”,^[2][3][4] perhaps with the diminutive ending seen in colleen.^[4] Merriam-Webster suggests the plural smidiríní as the source,^[5] while RHWU derives it from dialectal smithers with the Irish English diminutive suffix -een.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Small fragments.^[4][7]

Semantic evolution

The word occurs mainly in phrases such as blown to smithereens or smashed into smithereens,^[7][5] and is also used figuratively.^[7] The shorter form smithers is attested from 1828.^[4][6]

Timeline

• 1810 – smiddereens.^[4]
• 1828 – smithers.^[4]
• 1829 – the first date in the OED, Merriam-Webster and Barnhart;^[7][5][3] RHWU gives 1820–30.^[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. Small fragments or splintered pieces; bits.

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press