'smiley' originates from English, specifically the word 'smile,' where 'smile' meant 'a facial expression of happiness or amusement.'

'smile' transformed into the colloquial term 'smiley' to describe a graphical representation of a smiling face, especially in digital communication.

Initially, it meant 'a facial expression of happiness,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a digital representation of a smiling face.'