Smothery
/ˈsmʌðəri/noun
Tending to smother or producing a suffocating, oppressive sensation.
Did you know?“Smothery” comes from the same old Germanic vocabulary associated with suffocating smoke and smoldering heat, linking emotional oppression to literal difficulty breathing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*smūrjaną
“To suffocate or choke, likely in connection with smoke or smoldering.”
Old English
Old English
smorian
“To suffocate, choke, or die from lack of air.”
Middle English
Middle English
smotheren
“To suffocate or stifle; also associated with thick, choking smoke.”
14th Century
English
smother
“Suffocating smoke, oppressive air, or the act of choking.”
Modern English
English
smothery
“Oppressively close, stifling, or tending to smother.”