smyles

v. (pres. 3 sg.)

WA smyllys, smylez

'smiles' (Modern English smile)

Etymology

No early Gmc etymon for this v. survives, but the ON v. reflected in Norw smile 'smile', ODan smīle, Dan smile and Sw smila is a plausible source for the English word, which first appears in the 14c. (thus e.g. ODEE, Bj-L.). As MED notes, however, loan from another WGmc language is also possible, cp. MHG smielen 'smile'.

PGmc Ancestor

*smeil-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)


(ONP )

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Norw smile, ODan smīle, Dan smile, Sw smila

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

BB2a

Attestation

Widespread in ME from the 14c., incl. Chaucer, Lydgate and Gower.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

WA 2461, 2725

The A MS of WA has the variant reading laʒes at 2725.

Bibliography

MED smīlen (v.) , OED smile (v.) , HTOED , Falk-Torp smile, Bj-L. smile, Hellquist smila