etymology of smorodina

[Daniel Collins]

You win!  All the Russian etymological dictionaries I have on hand (Vasmer,
Preobrazhenskii, Chernykh, Tsyganenko, and Shanskii/Ivanov/Shanskaia) agree
that the word is derived from the 'stink' root seen also in Old East Slavic
smorod" (Slavonic smrad"), Modern Russian smerdet'.  Cf. German Stinkbaum in
the same meaning.  The derivation mentioned by your colleague is a folk
etymology attested in some dialects.

On 3/5/03 4:12 PM, "Katerina P. King" <kpking at MTHOLYOKE.EDU> wrote:

> A Russian colleague has made a bet with me that smorodina (black currant)
> derives from "samo rodit". That doesn't sound right to me. Help, anyone?
>
> Thank you,
> Katya King
>
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Daniel E. Collins, Chair
Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures
The Ohio State University
232 Cunz Hall
1841 Millikin Road
Columbus, OH 43210-1215

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