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smitten with/by

English Language & Usage Asked on September 28, 2021

Fowler’s smit reads

Its
most frequent use is as the participle smitten, ‘infatuated,
fascinated’. When the object of the fascination is a person, with is much more
often used than by; when the object is inanimate, the pattern is the
opposite.

What are the reasons for such choice?

OED: https://oed.com/oed2/00228565 AND https://oed.com/oed2/00228536

One Answer

It is not a choice, it is usage. According to Google Books, especially from the ‘80s.

This site suggests the following nuances between “smitten with” vs “smitten by:”

Both smitten by and smitten with appear to be acceptable. Smitten with may be slightly more common, but not by much. If you feel the need to make a distinction, being smitten by someone could imply some sort of action on the part of the adored person; being smitten with someone could imply that he or she is unaware of your affection and has done nothing to encourage it—but those aren't hard-and-fast rules.

(quickanddirtytips.com)

Answered by user 66974 on September 28, 2021

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