'Wordsmith' is a word coined from 'blacksmith.' The verb 'to smith' means to form or forge metal. This is perhaps confusing, since a blacksmith doesn't smith blacks but is called that presumably because he is always covered in black soot, whereas a wordsmith does forge words. But the one consistency of English is that it is inconsistent!
Gotta bust ya on this one, Pook! We were just at Colonial Willimasburg in Virginia, and my sons were fascinated watching the blacksmith make nails. I specifically mentioned that I always thought the term "blacksmith" came from them being covered in soot, and he told me that, in fact, it did not. The term arises from the metal used (usually iron), which turns black during the heating process through oxidization. The term "smith" comes from "smite", as they hit the metal to shape it. This is in contrast to the foundry, where metal is poured, never beaten. :0)
