An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Schmied

by Friedrich Kluge

Schmied, m., ‘smith,’ from MidHG. smit, OHG. smid, m., ‘worker in metal.’ Goth. aiza-smiþa, ‘smith,’ lit. ‘worker in brass,’ and ga-smiþôn, ‘to work (do smith’s work),’ show that the HG. meaning is specialisation of the signification ‘faber, worker in art’; OIc. smiðr, m., ‘worker in metal or wood’; comp. AS. smiþ, E. smith, Du. smid. ModHG. Schmiede, f., based on Schmied, is derived from the equiv. MidHG. smitte, OHG. smitta, f., ‘smithy,’ which again comes from Goth. *smiþjo (þj became þþj in West Teut., and the þþ was permutated to tt in HG.; comp. Fittich); comp. OIc. smiðja, AS. smiþþe, f., E. smithy, and the equiv. Du. smisse. With the root smī̆, ‘to work artistically in hard material — wood, brass,’ preserved in Goth. *smi-þa, m., are connected OHG. smeidar, ‘artist, artifex daedalus,’ and the words discussed under Geschmeide. Comp. also Gr. σμΐλη ‘graving tool,’ σμι-νύη, ‘hoe.’ For its connection with other terms see under schmeicheln.