Smothering
/ˈsmʌðərɪŋ/noun
The act of suffocating or stifling someone or something; also excessively controlling or overwhelming.
Did you know?English smother is historically tied to an old Germanic word for soot or smoke, which is why the word carries a heavy, airless, almost ash-choked feel rather than a purely metaphorical one.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*smudrōną / *smuthrōną
“To smear, stain, or make dirty with soot or grime”
Old English
OE
smorian
“To suffocate or choke”
Middle English
ME
smotheren
“To stifle, suffocate, or kill by preventing breath”
Modern English
English
smother
“To suffocate or overwhelm; later extended to mean cover thickly or overprotect”