Why were the smurfs called the "smurfs"?

Question

im talking about the children's show...

Answer 1

according to wikipedia:

Schtroumpf/Smurf origins

"Schtroumpf" is an invented word. The way of saying "Schtroumpf" in French is quite simmilar to the German word "Strumpf" which does mean "sock" in English. According to Peyo, the word came to him as he asked André Franquin for salt during lunch and, struggling to find the word that eluded him, finally managed to say "passe-moi le schtroumpf" ("pass me the smurf").[1] It would later be translated into nearly 30 languages and, in some of those languages, "schtroumpf" became "smurf" (see The Smurfs in other languages). The word "smurf" was first used in Dutch, as the comics were simultaneously published in French (in Spirou magazine) and Dutch (in Robbedoes, the Dutch translation of the magazine). In any case, the tiny blue people proved a sudden hit, commercially speaking, and quickly moved into their own comic series which became a tremendous success.

In several interviews, Peyo stated that the Smurfs was his favourite series in the early sixties, but later his own preference went to his "Johan & Pirlouit" series, and he sometimes expressed exasperation with the overbearing success of the Smurfs.

Answer 2

Yes, I know the "Smurfs". I am 29 and I remember them fondly. It always made me question about that show, even when I was a child. Like, for one thing, if there was a "Papa" Smurf, what happened to "Mama" Smurf? Was she eaten by Gargomale (sp?) and/or Asreale (sp?) and, if not, is he more of a cultish leader? Then, where are the parents of the other smurfs? is "Papa" Smurf anyone's real papa? And, why is there only one girl there? And why name her "Smurfette"? if a smurf is a male, then a smurfette must be a female, why name her, her gender? It is like naming a girl, "Girl". That is retarded. And if this "Papa" Smurf, let us say, did, in fact, have all these children and only had 1 girl, why would all the "brothers" try to go out with their "sister"? And, what the hell is a "smurf" anyway? Who defined these things to become "smurfs"? Are these letters a combination of the people who made the show? a combination of two things?
So, as a child, I really thought about this "Papa" and the rest of his gang.

Answer 3

I was told by a friend of mine that is German, that in Germany smurf means the blue demon. Why the writers chose that name is beyond me. My kids enjoyed it and so did I. I never saw any evil in it.

Answer 4

I don'tknow, but what I do know is they used it waaaay too much in the cartoon. It was used in reference for everything. " That's a smurfy looking present you have there." What?

Answer 5

because the writers of the show clld them that

Answer 6

I've been tryn figure that out too. I guess cuz they were so small. but why were they blue?

Answer 7

Because the name "Munchkins" was already taken??