SMI(R)K SaMahK[H] Sin-Mem-Het
Some-AHKH
שמח [S-M-KH à
SM
+R K]
ROOTS: The Indo-European (IE) base of SMIRK, a SMUG SMILE, is smei (to smile, be astonished); the
alleged IE “root” is smei (to laugh,
smile).
The Hebrew Bible has
no one–word SMILE term, but שמח SaMah[K]H is to rejoice or be glad (Proverbs
17:5). שמח
SaMayahK[H] is a joyful satisfaction (Deuteronomy 16:15). שמחה SiMK[H]aH is gladness
(Genesis 31:27).
SMILING is hardly a common way to register “astonishment.”
The AHD’s SM base for
“astonishment” may be from תמה TaMahH, to be astonished (Habakkuk 1:5) –
which may be rendered (S)aMahH. Like the
ע Ayin variant (as a vowel), this תTahf variant (as an
S) is too globally verified to be
limited to Ashkenazic Jews.
תמהון (S)iMaHOAN is
astonishment or amazement (Deuteronomy 28:28).
פתאום Pee(S)OWM (suddenly,
Numbers 12:4) combines a P-T element from Pey-Sahf “opening” words like פת Poa(S), פתעPe(S)[A]h (opening of
the eyes, twinkling, thus a moment – Numbers 35:22) and פתח Pa(SA)a[K]H, with out ת-ם Sahf-Mem
root of astonishment.
More S-M happiness at “SMUG.”
BRANCHES: SMIRK and
Anglo-Saxon smercian (to smile) are from the same base as SMILE. A Polish smirk and smile is usmiech. Many Slavic “laugh” words are below.
The first Slavic speakers who gathered
at Shinar (Sumer) after the Tower of
Babel and migrated to Eastern Europe associated “laughing” and “smiling”
with “happiness.”
See entries like “LAUGH,”“CHUCKLE” and
“RUNE” to see that most peoples were
thinking of the tone, not the emotion, of laughter.
SLAVIC
LAUGHTER and SMILE words from שמח SaMeyaK[H] (joyful)
[help from Altru Kveb ]
naSMEH (smile) -- Slovenian
naSMEVKa (smile) -- Macedonian
oSMEH (smile) -- Serbian
oSMIJEH
(smile) -- Bosnian, Croatian
SMeH (laugh) -- Serbian, Slovenian
SMeKH
смех, (laughter) --
Russian
SMÍCH (laugh)
-- Czech
SMIECH (laugh) -- Belarusian, Slovak
ŚMIECH (laugh) -- Polish
SMIKH (laugh) -- Ukrainian
SMIJEH (laugh)
-- Bosnian, Croatian
SMYAKH (laugh) -- Bulgarian
uSMISHKa (smile, sneer) -- Ukrainian
uSMIVKa (smile) -- Bulgarian
ŭSMIEŠKa (smile) - Belarusian
It’s astonishing to find SMK “smile”
words as far away as Chinese shen X582 (M132) and Nepali muskaan
(M213). Bengali hasimukh is
defined as “smiling face.” If, as Webster's suggests, astonishment (as
well as happiness) brings a smile to our lips, consider YeeSOAM
("shall be astonished" - Jeremiah
49;17). שמה SHaMaH means horror. תמה ToaMaH, THoaMaH
or (S)oaMaH is to be astounded or amazed or to wonder. THAUMATOLOGY is from
Greek thauma (a miracle, a wonder),
but this term is not linked to SMILE.
Official cognates of SMIRK include:
ADMIRE, COMITY, MARVEL, MIRACLE, MIRAGE and MIRROR.
Quechua (Inca) saami is happy, lucky, blessed.
Mahigan
(Amerind) schmeck (to laugh) may be a
nasalized (extra M) צחק TSaK[H]aQ (laugh) . But
more likely it is from שמחה our SiMK[H]aH, happiness , like all the Slavic “laughter” words associated with happy smiles.’ An
example of an added L
in Slavic involves Czech and Polish słońce (sun) < S-F S-N
) added ł or l, liquidization) שמש SHeMeSH, sun. Other Slavic
“sun” do not have this added liquid.
There is no Lamed or Resh in שמח SaMeyaK[H] (joyful) to
give a liquid (L,R) to SMILE or SMIRK. See “below for other examples of added liquids (L,R).
Liquids, L and R, are nowhere near as commonly added to historic roots as
are M and N (Nasalization). But the examples below demonstrate that liquids, L and R, do
get added to words, like SMIRK from SMK. Sin-Mem-Het.
ASPIRIN <
כסף Ke$ePH, silver… white [ASPIRIN]
BALSAM < בשם BoaSeM, spices [BALSAM]
CALAMUS (feather pen)
< Arabic Qalam, stalk, reed <
S-N קנה
QaNeH, reed [CANE]
CARPAL (of the wrist) < Greek karpos, wrist < כף KahPH, palm of hand [CUFF].
CORPS, CORPSE and words from IE “root” k(w)rep (body) are better traced to גוף GOOPH,
body, corpse [CORPSE]
DIRT (no IE “root”;
Middle English 1st def. is
mud < S-D +R טיט
DTeeYDT, mud, mire, filth from the streets (Zachariah 9:3 )
FRIGHT >
פחד PahK[H]aD, fear (noun and verb) [FRIGHT]
GOVERN < כון
KeeVain, to direct [GOVERN]
PALM (formerly paume) < פעם P[A]’ahM, palm of foot [PALM]
SALSA – Spanish and
Arabic salsa means gravy, many gravy/sause words
are
S-S words < עסיס [A]$eY$, juice
[SAUCE]
SLAUGHTER < שחט SHaK[H]aDT ], to slaughter [SLAUGHTER]
SLOUCH (no IE “root”),
link the nasalized SI[N]K
<
שוח
SHOOah[K]H, sink [SAG]
SPARK < M213 S-F, S-B בזק BeZeQ, a flash of lightning [SPARK]
SPURT < שטף SHaTAPH, to rinse, flood, flow
or burst forth [SPATE] or “BURST.”
STRIDE (step) < צעד TSa’[A]hD, to
step (Genesis 49:22) [PACE]
SWEAR (English) and German schwören, to swear < S-B, added R שבע
SHBa[A]h (to swear) [GOSPEL]
TERM < תם ToaM
(completion ) [TIME]
THERMO- (Greek thermos,
heat) < חם [K]HahM, heat [CALM]
At
“CAP” are many non-English words that have an L or R added. Also see “ROBOT”
and
"SPEECH." In Swedish there is an extra R (Liquidization): f[r]ukta < פחד
FaK[H]ahD,fear
[FEAR]
Basque has several added Rs, including arte (until) <
S-D עד [A]hD, until; also (if not a Vav
to R shift) horma, wall, from חומה ,
wall.