smellen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• smele, smeallen, smillen, smullen

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld-

Proto-West Germanic *smalljan

Old English *smiellan

Middle English smellen

From Old English *smiellan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsmɛlən/

Verb

smellen

1. (transitive) To sense a smell or smells.

   Who drynkeþ therof or smelleth, þe odour of it heleth hym of þe pose.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. (intransitive) To give off an odor.

   First he cheweth greyn and likorys To smellen swete.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

3. (intransitive, without a modifier) To smell bad; to stink.

   Wormys has eten of him now, he smellis for iiij dayes ar gane syn he was lokin vnder a stane.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Conjugation

Conjugation of smellen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) smellen, smelle
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	smelle	smelled
2nd-person singular	smellest	smelledest
3rd-person singular	smelleth	smelled
subjunctive singular	smelle
imperative singular		—
plural1	smellen, smelle	smelleden, smellede
imperative plural	smelleth, smelle	—
participles	smellynge, smellende	smelled, ysmelled

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: smell
• Scots: smell
• Yola: smele, smoll

References

• “smellen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2020-07-21.

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• smellet

Noun

smellen n or m

1. definite masculine singular of smell

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• smellet

Noun

smellen n or m

1. definite masculine singular of smell