To be SMUG is to be happy with oneself. The word now means a negative overconfidence, but it was once positive. The Amer. Heritage Dict. has no clue as to the source, but SMUGLY offers “perhaps akin to Low German smuck (neat) < Middle Low German smucken, to adorn.” Even weaker is the older (1985) AHD Dictionary of Indo-European Roots where the made-up “root” meug-2 (slimy, slippery) is the given source of MUCUS, MUGGY, SCHMUCK (adornment) and SMUG.
שמח SaMayahK[H] is a joyful satisfaction (Deuteronomy 16:15). שמח SeeMahK[H] is to gladden; שמחה SiMK[H]aH is gladness, becoming a word for a festive occasion, and a male name. Far from gross self-satisfaction, Psalms 100:2 asks us to “Worship the Lord in שמחה SiMK[H]aH (gladness).” This noble form of a higher love is the designed opposite of the fricative-nasal-guttural שנאה SiN’AH (hatred).
Rabbi David Walk teaches that שמחה SiMK[H]aH (joy) is inner and spiritual, while גילה GeeYLaH (joy) is outer and physical. גלה GaLaH, to reveal (Numbers 22:31 ) backs this up. Smugness can be hidden but not GLEE. See “GALA.”
Deuteronomy 26:11 tells the Israelite farmer who brings his First Fruits to Jerusalem to be “happy, שמח SaMayahK[H], for all the bounty that the Lord your G*d has given you…for your household, and [the landless] Levite and Stranger in your midst.” The satisfaction of seeing the results of months of hard labor is very different, deeper than glee.
Similar fricative-nasal-guttural “music” suggests a connection between being happy שמח SaMeyaK[H , and supporting those in need? סמך $aMaKH, to support -- שמח SaMaK[H], to be happy.
Just smiles at "SMIRK."
SMIRK and Anglo-Saxon smercian (to smile) are from the same base as SMILE. A Polish smirk and smile is usmiech. The “SMIRK” entry has other examples of added liquids (L,R). Russian смех smekh is laughter. Slovenian “laugh” is smeh (M. Pau). They are so happy in Eastern Europe, that the entire Slavic family appears below. The Indo-European “base” is smei (to smile, be astonished); the alleged IE “root” is smei (to laugh, smile). The Bible has no SMILE term, but שמח SaMah[K]H is to rejoice or be glad (Proverbs 17:5).
German shmunzeln (to smirk) and Schmunzeln (a broad smile) may be hiding Edenic gladness with a suffix (and possible M132). The sound-alike designed opposite is שמה SHaMaH, horror (Jeremiah 8:21). The shock of an unexpected tragedy can wipe the smirk off a believer’s face.
If, as Webster's suggests, astonishment (as well as happiness) brings a smile to our lips, consider YeeSOAM ("shall be astonished" - Jeremiah 49;17). תמה ToaMaH, THoaMaH or (S)oaMaH is to be astounded or amazed or to wonder. THAUMATOLOGY is from Greek thauma (a miracle, a wonder), but this term is not linked to SMILE as "admire," "miracle" and "marvel" are. Hebrew happiness is shared because Polish usmiech is a smile and Cantonese some is happy. Bengali hasimukh is defined as “smiling face. For Tagalog happiness, an M213 of masaya is required.
Mahigan (Amerind) schmeck is to laugh, see “CHUCKLE.” In Quechua (Inca) sami or saami means happy, lucky or blessed, like שמח SaMaya[K]H, happiness.
German Schmuck is an ornament; jewlery is Schmuckstuck. Swedish jewelry is smycken. Perhaps jewelery was named for making people שמח SaMeyaK[H] (happy)?
In Sanskrit máyas enjoyment, delight, happiness < M231 שמח SaMeya[K]H, happy, glad … with the Sanskrit áya seeming to reproduce the vowel-Het or “eya[K]H” end of the Edenic etymon.
Fernando Aedo finds SMUGNESS in the Amazon:
The fricative shifts slightly in chuáma, happy (Cashibo).
The nasal shifts in osain, to laugh, (Sharanahua), and in
usan-, to laugh (Cashinahua).
Shin-to-Tahf ת is a common shift that spun-off Aramaic from Edenic. But F. Aedo is finding this Semitic phenomenon in the New World. Some “happy” examples:: taímijyu, cheerful, happy (Bora); timiniu, to enjoy (Sharanahua); timionu, rejoice and timitiniu, to be happy (Arabela).
Uto-Aztecan (Amerind, Utah) protoform *sïm, laugh, smile < שמח SaMeyaK[H], happy [BDS]
SLAVIC LAUGHTER/SMILE/LAUGH AT: שמח SaMeyaK[H], joyful; שמח SaMahK]H], to rejoice ; שמחה SM’K[H]aH, joy [SMUG, SMIRK] LAUGHTER + SMILE words [help from Altru Kveb]
naSMEH (smile) -- Slovene
naSMEVKa (smile) -- Macedonian
oSMEH (smile) -- Serbian
oSMIJEH (smile) -- Bosnian, Croatian
rozeŚMiaĆ (to laugh) -- Polish
SMeH (laugh) -- Serbian, Slovene
SMeKH (laughter) -- Russian смех
SMiat’sa (to laugh, smile) -- Slovak
SMÍCH (laugh) -- Czech
SMIECH (laugh) -- Belarusian, Slovak
ŚMIECH (laugh) -- Polish
SMiJEH (laugh) -- Bosnian, Croatian
SMiKH (laugh) -- Ukrainian
SMyaKH (laugh) -- Bulgarian
uSMishKa (smile, sneer) -- Ukrainian
uSMivKa (smile) -- Bulgarian
ŭSMiešKa (smile) -- Belarusian
uŚMieCH (a smile); uŚMieCHać (to smile) -- Polish
[Darker laughter, laughing at someone]
iSMijati (ridicule, laugh off, mock) -- Croatian
poSMěCH (derision, jeering, mocking) -- Czech
poŚMiewisko (laughing-stock, jest, joke, mock) -- Polish
vySMiejvać (ridicule) -- Belarusian
wyŚMIEwać (to laugh at
someone) -- Polish edenics.org