# An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Se-Su (full text)

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* A - B - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S-Sch - Se-Su - T - U - V - W - Z
​ Sebenbaum, masculine, ‘savin (species of juniper),’ from the equivalent Middle High German sęvenboum, Old High German sęvina, sęvinboum, formed from Latin sabîna (arbor Sabina, literally ‘Sabine tree’); corresponding to Anglo-Saxon safine, English savin.
Sech, neuter, ‘coulter,’ from Middle High German sëch, Old High German sëh (hh), neuter, ‘mattock, ploughshare’ (Gothic *sika- is wanting); allied, like Sichel and Senfe, to a Teutonic root seh, seg, sek, from Aryan sek, seg.
​ sechs, numeral, ‘six,’ from Middle High German and Old High German sëhs; a common Teutonic and primitively Aryan numeral; compare Old Saxon sehs, Dutch zes, Anglo-Saxon and English six, Old Icelandic sehs, Gothic saíhs; primitively Aryan seks (and sweks). Compare Sanscrit šaš, Zend χšvaš, Greek ἕξ, Latin sex, Welsh chwech, Old Slovenian šestĭ.
Sechter, masculine, ‘two pecks,’ from Middle High German sëhter, sëster, sëhster, masculine, ‘a dry measure,’ Old High German sëhtâri, sëhstâri, ‘two pecks (about)'; derived, like Old Saxon sëster, from Latin sextarius, whence also Anglo-Saxon sëster, Italian sestiere, French setier.
Seckel, masculine, ‘purse, bag, pocket,’ from Middle High German sęckel, Old High German sęcchil, masculine, ‘purse’; diminutive of Sack, Latin sacellum; compare Old French sachel, English satchel.
See, masculine and feminine, ‘lake, sea,’ from Middle High German sê, masculine and feminine, ‘sea, lake, ocean’ (the masculine predominates, and is used without distinction in all the senses); Old High German sêo, masculine, ‘sea, ocean,’ and in these significations occur Old Saxon sêo, Dutch see, feminine, Anglo-Saxon sœ̂, masculine and feminine, English sea; Old Icelandic sœ́r, masculine, ‘ocean’; Gothic saiws, masculine, ‘lake, marsh.’ The common Teutonic *saiwi-, ‘ocean, lake,’ does not belong to any Teutonic verbal stem; Latin saevus, ‘savage’ (Greek ἀιόλος, ‘mobile’), seems to be allied (See, literally ‘the savage element’). While See is peculiar to Teutonic, Meer is common to some of the West Aryan languages.
Seele, feminine, ‘soul,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sêle, Old High German sêla (sē̆ula), feminine; a word peculiar to Teutonic. Compare Gothic saiwala, feminine, Old Icelandic sala, feminine, Anglo-Saxon sâwl, sâwul, feminine, English soul, Dutch ziel, Old Saxon sē̆ola, feminine. The origin of the primitively Teutonic saiwolô, feminine, ‘soul,’ is obscure; it may be allied to See (Seele, literally ‘that which moves’): compare Greek αἰόλος. Its connection with Latin saeculum, ‘age, generation’ (literally ‘vital power’?), is equally possible; compare Sanscrit âyu, ‘vital power,’ similar to Latin aevum, ‘age, time.’
Segel, neuter, ‘sail,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sëgel, Old High German sëgal, masculine; compare Old Saxon sëgel, neuter, Dutch zeil, neuter, Anglo-Saxon sëgel, masculine and neuter, English sail, Old Icelandic segl, neuter, ‘sail’ (Gothic *sigla- is not recorded). The word cannot have been borrowed from Latin sagulum, ‘military cloak,’ on account of the sounds, and because no other Old Teutonic nautical expressions have been derived from Latin; besides, sagulum is not a nautical term. Segel (Teutonic *segla-) looks very much like a Teutonic term (compare Mast), yet the root cannot be ascertained. From the Teutonic cognates French cingler and Spanish singlar, ‘to sail,’ are derived.
Segen, masculine, ‘blessing, bliss’, enchantment,’ from Middle High German sëgen, Old High German sëgan, neuter, ‘sign of the cross, blessing resulting from it, magic spell’; borrowed on the introduction of Christianity (see Kreuz, Altar, and Priester) from Latin sîgnum; so too Old High German sëganôn, ‘to bless,’ Old Saxon sëgnôn, ‘to bless,’ literally ‘to make the sign of the cross,’ from Latin sîgnâre. Anglo-Saxon sëgen, ‘banner, military emblem,’ must have been borrowed at an earlier period from Latin sîgnum; with the ë of the Teutonic words compare the Old Irish loan-word sén, as well as Italian segno (French enseigne).
sehen, verb, ‘to see, look,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sëhen, Old High German sëhan; a common Teutonic verb, and in this sense peculiar to this group. Compare Gothic saihwan, Old Icelandic sjá, Anglo-Saxon seón (from *seohan), English to see, Dutch zien, Old Slovenian sëhan, ‘to see.’ The common Teutonic root sehw (with grammatical change segw, sew), from the pre-Teutonic seq, closely agrees in sound with the Aryan root seq, ‘to follow, purse, accompany’; compare Sanscrit sac, ‘to escort, promote,’ Greek ἕπεσθαι, ‘to follow,’ Latin sequi, Lithuanian sekti, ‘to follow’; the assumption that these words are primitively allied presents no difficulty (hence sehen is perhaps literally ‘to follow with the eyes’). The supposition that the term is connected with Latin secare, ‘to cut’ (Aryan root sek, ‘to penetrate’?), is untenable.
Sehne, feminine, ‘sinew, tendon, nerve, string (of a bow),’ from Middle High German sëne, sënewe, feminine, ‘sinew, string (of a bow), nerve,’ Old High German sënawa, feminine, ‘sinew’; compare Dutch zenuw, Anglo-Saxon sinu, feminine, and the equivalent English sinew, Old Icelandic sin, feminine; Gothic *sinawa, feminine, is wanting. The word is usually connected with Sanscrit snâva-s, masculine, ‘sinew’ (the Teutonic words would also imply a Sanscrit *sanâva-); its kinship with Greek ἶν-ες, ‘sinew,’ is improbable.
sehnen, verb, ‘to long, yearn,’ from Middle High German senen, ‘to long, inspire with longing’; allied to Middle High German sene, feminine, ‘yearning, longing.’ Unrecorded in Old High German and the other Old Teutonic dialects perhaps only by chance; of obscure origin, but probably genuine Teutonic.
sehr, adverb, ‘very greatly, very much’ (unknown to Suabian and Bavarian, arg, recht, gar being used), from Middle High German sêre, sêr, adverb, ‘with pain, painfully, powerfully, very’; Old High German and Old Saxon sêro, ‘painfully, with difficulty, violently’; adverb form of Old High German and Old Saxon ser, ‘painfully,’ Anglo-Saxon sâr, adjective, ‘painful, wounding.’ Allied to the substantives Gothic sair, Anglo-Saxon sâr, ‘pain’ (English sore), Old Saxon sêr, ​Old High German and Middle High German sêr, neuter, ‘pain’; from the Old Teutonic adjective is derived Finnish sairas, ‘sick.’ The common Teutonic saira- seems, like Old Irish sáeth, sóeth, ‘hurt, disease,’ to point to a root sai, ‘to pain.’ The earlier meaning is preserved by Suabian and Bavarian sêr, ‘wounded, painful,’ and versehren, ‘to wound’; compare Dutch zeer, ‘injured, injury, sickness, scab.’
seichen, verb, ‘to make water,’ from the equivalent Middle High German seichen, Old High German seihhen; allied to Modern High German Seiche, ‘urine,’ and the equivalent Middle High German seiche, feminine, seich, masculine, Old High German seih, masculine; Gothic *saiqjan, ‘to make water,’ is wanting; with these sickern, ‘to ooze,’ and Low German sêken, ‘to make water’ (Teutonic root saik, saiq), are connected. The Aryan root sī̆q, mentioned under seihen, appears in Old Slovenian as sĭcati, with the same meaning, ‘to make water’; compare Old Slovenian sĭcĭ, masculine, ‘urine.’
seicht, adjective, ‘low, shallow, flat,’ from Middle High German sîhte, adjective, ‘low, shallow’; Old High German *sîhti not recorded; probably allied to sinken, hence literally ‘where the water has sunk into the ground,’ or ‘that which has sunk, or is low’; scarcely akin to seihen, literally ‘where it gently flows’?.
Seide, feminine, ‘silk,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sîde, Old High German sîda, feminine; derived from Middle Latin sêta, ‘silk,’ like Old High German chrîda, from Latin crêta. The d of the High German words must be explained by the soft mute of the Romance languages, appearing in Spanish, Provençal and North Italian seda and Italian seta, ‘silk’ (French soie), just as in Spanish greda, ‘chalk,’ compared with Italian creta (compare Seidel). Middle Latin sêta, crêta (ê closed; see Preis, Pein, Speise, and feiern), may have been borrowed about the 10th century. From Latin sêta (literally ‘bristle’) Old Irish síta is also derived. For the assumption that the Phœnician town of Sidon furnished both the material and the name Seide, or rather Latin sêta, there is no historic proof. In English another term is used, Anglo-Saxon seole, seoloc, English silk, to which the equivalent Old Icelandic silke, neuter, is allied. It is usually assumed that these latter terms come from the Latin, in which serîcus (Irish síric) means ‘of silk’; they must, however, especially since their forms can scarcely be deduced from the Latin, be more fittingly connected, like Old Slovenian šelkŭ, masculine, ‘silk,’ with an Eastern term; compare Mongolian sirgek, ‘silk.’ The Seres, from whom the Greeks obtained their term σηρικὸς (Latin sêricus), adjective, cannot, as an East Asiatic people, be regarded as the immediate source of the North European loan-words.
Seidel, neuter and masculine, ‘pint,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German sîdel, sîdelîn, neuter; from Latin sîtula (Italian secchia, ‘pail’), ‘bucket,’ whence also Old Irish sithal; with regard to the lengthening of Latin ĭ to Middle High German î in an open syllable, see Schule, and for d representing t, see Seide.
Seidelbast, masculine, ‘spurge-laurel, mezereon,’ derived under the influence of Seide (on account of the fine bast?) from the equivalent Middle High German zîdelbast (also zîtzelbast), masculine, called also zîlant; origin obscure. Perhaps zîdel-weide, ‘rearing of bees,’ is allied.
Seife, feminine, ‘soap,’ from the equivalent Middle High German seife, Old High German seifa, feminine (Old High German also ‘resin’); compare Dutch zeep, Anglo-Saxon sâpe (hence Old Icelandic sápa), English soap; Gothic *saipjô is implied by Old High German seipfa (Suabian and Swiss Seipfe), and by the Finnish loan-word saippio. Old High German seifa, Anglo-Saxon sâp, ‘resin,’ might suggest the assumption that Seife belongs, like Anglo-Saxon sîpan, Middle High German sîfen, and Dutch zijpelen, ‘to trickle,’ to the Teutonic root sī̆p, to which Latin sébum, ‘tallow,’ is usually referred, But Pliny says that ‘soap’ (sâpo) was an invention of the Gauls, “Gallorum hoc inventum rutilandis capillis; fit ex sebo et cinere ... apud Germanos majore in usu viris quam feminis.” The Latin sâpo of Pliny, however, is, like its derivatives French savon, Italian sapona, none other than the Teutonic *saipô; perhaps soap (the Romans were not acquainted with it) may be regarded as a Teutonic invention. Yet it is remarkable that Pliny speaks of soap only as a “pomade for colouring the hair.” The term sâpo, ‘soap,’ was not frequently used in Latin until the 4th century. Another Teutonic word for soap is represented by English lather, Anglo-Saxon leáðor, Old Icelandic lauðr.
Seihe, t., ‘straining, strainer, colander,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sîhe, Old High German sîha, feminine. Allied to seihen, ‘to strain, filter,’ from Middle High German sîhen, Old High German sîhan, ‘to strain, filter, trickle’; compare Dutch zijgen, ‘to filter through, decay, faint,’ Anglo-Saxon seón (from *sîhan), ‘to strain,’ and the equivalent Old Icelandic sía. Identical with these are Middle High German sîgen, Old High German and Anglo-Saxon sîgan, ‘to fall down, trickle.’ Teutonic root sī̆h, sī̆hw (with grammatical change sī̆g, sī̆w), from pre-Teutonic sī̆q, ‘to trickle down’; compare Old Slovenian sĭcati, ‘to make water,’ Sanscrit sic, ‘to pour out’ (Greek ἰκμάς, ‘moisture’?), An equivalent Teutonic root is also indicated by Modern High German seichen, sinken, and sickern.
​ Seil, neuter, ‘rope,’ from Middle High German and Old High German seil, neuter, ‘rope, cord’; corresponding to Old Saxon sêl, Anglo-Saxon sâl, Old Icelandic seil, Gothic *sail, neuter, ‘rope’ (from insailjan, ‘to lower or let down with cords’). A common Teutonic word sailo-m, which, like the equivalent Old Slovenian silo, is derived from the widely diffused Aryan root sī̆, ‘to bind.’ Compare the Sanscrit root sì, ‘to bind,’ sẽtu, ‘bond, fetter,’ Greek ἱ-μάς, ‘strap’, and ἱ-μονιά ‘well-rope,’ Lettic sinu, ‘to bind’; also Old High German si-lo, Middle High German sil, masculine, ‘traces of draught cattle’; Old Saxon sī̆mo, ‘strap,’ Old Icelandic síme. See Seite and Siele.
Seim, masculine, ‘strained honey, sweetness,’ from Middle High German seim (honecseim), Old High German seim (honangseim), masculine, ‘virgin honey’; compare Dutch zeem; Old Icelandic seimr, hunangsseimr, ‘honeycomb.’ On account of this divergence of meaning in Teutonic the connection of the word with Greek αἰμα, ‘blood’ (literally ‘juice’?), is improbable. It may be allied to the cognates discussed under Seihe.
sein, possessive pronoun, ‘his, its,’ from Middle High German and Old High German (also Old Saxon) sîn; compare Gothic seins, ‘his’; allied to Gothic si-k, ‘himself,’ formed with the possessive suffix -îna- like mein and dein. Compare sich; the further discussion of the word belongs to grammar.
sein, anomal. verb; its tenses are formed from various stems. The Teutonic primary stems are es, -s, with the same meaning (Old High German, Middle High German, and Modern High German ist, Old High German and Middle High German sint, Modern High German sind; subj. mood, Old High German and Middle High German sî, Modern High German sei; infinitive Middle High German sîn, Modern High German sein; compare Gothic 3rd personal singular ist, plu. sind; optative sijau; Anglo-Saxon and English 3rd personal singular is, 3rd personal plural Anglo-Saxon sind); corresponding to the Aryan root es in Latin es-t, Greek ἐστί, Sanscrit ás-ti, Latin sunt, sîm, Sanscrit sánti, &c. The second stem begins with b, Modern High German, Middle High German, and Old High German bin, Old Saxon bium, Anglo-Saxon beó, ‘I am’ (Anglo-Saxon also ‘I shall’), connected with the stem of Latin fio, Greek φύω, Sanscrit bhû, ‘to become.’ For the third stem (of gewesen and war) see under Wesen. Further details belong to grammar.
seit, preposition and conjunction, ‘since,’ from Middle High German sît, preposition and conjunction, ‘since,’ adverb, ‘since then,’ Old High German sîd, adverb, ‘since then, later,’ conjunction ‘since, as, because,’ preposition ‘since.’ Compare Old Saxon sîð (also sîðor), ‘later, afterwards, since then, if’; originally a comparative adverb; compare Gothic þanaseiþs, ‘further,’ allied to seiþus, ‘late.’ As new equivalent compars. compare also Old Saxon sîð-or, Old High German sī̆dôr, Middle High German sī̆der. Middle High German sint, a variant of sît, is implied by sintemal; English since is based on Middle English sithens, sithen, Anglo-Saxon sîððân.
Seite, feminine, ‘side, flank, page,’ from Middle High German sîte, sît, Old High German sîta (sîtta), feminine, ‘side’; compare Dutch zijde, feminine, ‘side,’ and the equivalent Anglo-Saxon sîde, English side, Old Icelandic síða, feminine; Gothic *seidô (*seidjô), feminine, is wanting. Allied to Old Icelandic síðr, ‘hanging down,’ Anglo-Saxon sîd, adjective, ‘wide, large, extended’? — seits, in einerseits, ander-, jenseits, &c., with adverb s from Middle High German -sît in einsît, ander-sît, jënsît, which are accusative adverbs.
Sekt, masculine, ‘Canary wine, sack,’ Modern High German only, from the equivalent Dutch sek, which, like English sack, is said to have been formed from Italian vino secco.
selb, selber, selbst, pronoun, ‘self-same, self, himself,’ &c., from Middle High German sëlp (b), Old High German sëlb, pronoun, ‘self, himself,’ &c.; compare Old Saxon self, Dutch zelf, Anglo-Saxon sylf, Old Icelandic sjalfr, Gothic silba, ‘self, himself,’ &c. A pronoun peculiar to Teutonic, which signified literally perhaps ‘master, possessor’ (thus Sanscrit patis, ‘master,’ is similar to Lithuanian pats, ‘self’). Compare Old Irish selb, feminine, ‘possession’?.
selig, adjective, ‘happy, blessed, deceased, late,’ from Middle High German sœlec, Old High German sâlig, adjective, ‘happy, blessed, blissful, salutary’; lengthened by the suffix -îg from an older *sâl, which was preserved in Middle High German sûllîche, ‘in a lucky manner’; compare Gothic sêls, ‘good, suitable,’ Anglo-Saxon sœ̂lig, ‘good, happy,’ Old High German sâlida, Middle High German sœlde, feminine, ‘happiness, welfare.’ Gothic sêls is usually compared with Greek ὅλος (Ionian οὖλος), ‘whole,’ from solvos, οὖλε, as a greeting, Sanscrit sarva s, ‘whole, all,’ Latin sollus, ‘whole.’ — selig, in the adjectives, just as trübselig, saumselig, and mühselig, has nothing to do with Old High German sâlîg, since it is a suffix of the neutrals Trübsal, Saumsal, Mühsal. In substantives of this kind -sal itself is a suffix formed from Old High German isal (genitive -sles), which appears in Gothic as -isl, neuter.
Sellerie, masculine, ‘celery,’ Modern High German only, from French céleri.
selten, adjective and adverb, ‘rare, rarely,’ from Middle High German sëlten, Old High German sëltan, adverb, ‘rarely’; corresponding to the equivalent Anglo-Saxon sëldan, adverb, English seldom, Old Icelandic sjaldan, Old Frisian sielden, adverb. The corresponding adjective is Old High German sëltsâni, Middle High German sëltsœne (Anglo-Saxon sëld-sêne), ‘rare, strange,’ the suffix of which has been supplanted in Modern High German by the more familiar -sam. In Gothic sildaleiks, ‘wonderful,’ to which is allied Gothic sildaleikjan, ‘to be astonished’ (akin to Anglo-Saxon syllîč, English ​silly). Cognate terms in the non-Teutonic languages are wanting.
Semmel, masculine, ‘roll,’ from Middle High German sëmel, sëmele (also simel), Old High German sëmala, simila, feminine, ‘fine wheat flour or bread, roll’; a word peculiar to High German, allied to Old High German sëmon, ‘to eat.’ Latin simila, ‘wheat flour,’ whence also Italian semola, French semoule, ‘bran from fine wheat flour,’ has been influenced by the High German word.
semperfrei, adjective, ‘free-born, entitled to act as assessor of the synod,’ from Middle High German sëmpervrÎ, ‘subject only to the emperor and empire, authorised to hold a synod or to take part in it.’ Allied to Middle High German sënt, masculine, ‘senatus, diet, imperial diet,’ also ‘ecclesiastical assembly,’ like Old High German sënot (Latin synodus); Middle High German sëmpœre, sëntbœre, properly, ‘authorised to take part in a synod.’
senden, verb, ‘to send, dispatch,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sęnden, Old High German sęnten; a common Teutonic verb; compare Gothic sandjan, Anglo-Saxon sęndan, English to send, Dutch zenden, Old Saxon sęndian, Old Icelandic senda, ‘to send.’ Factitive of a lost Old Teutonic *sinþan, ‘to go, travel’; thus senden is literally ‘to cause to go.’ Compare Gesinde and sinnen.
Senesbaum, masculine, ‘senna (tree),’ Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent French séné (English senna), Italian sena. The ultimate source is Arabic sana.
Seneschall, masculine, ‘seneschal, high steward,’ from the equivalent Middle High German seneschalt, sineschalt, masculine, which is derived from Romance; compare the cognates French sénéchal, Italian siniscalco (Middle Latin siniscalcus), ‘high steward.’ The Romance words are based on an Old Teutonic word (Gothic *sinaskalks, ‘head servant’); compare Gothic sinista, ‘eldest,’ which is primitively allied to Old Irish sen, Latin senex, senior, Lithuanian sénas, Sanscrit sánas, ‘old.’ With regard to the second part of the compound compare Schalk (and Marschall). The invariable t at the end of the Middle High German word is remarkable.
Senf, masculine, ‘mustard,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sënf, sënef, masculine, Old High German sënaf, masculine; corresponding to Gothic sinap, Anglo-Saxon sënep, ‘mustard.’ The other dialects have, like Romance, the term Mostert. It cannot be determined through what medium Greek and Latin σίνᾶπι, sinâpi, ‘mustard,’ were introduced at so early a period that the Gothic and High German terms correspond; but since they are not genuine Aryan words, it is possible the South Teutons and Græco-Italians obtained them independently from the same source.
sengen, verb, ‘to singe, scorch, from Middle High German sęngen, ‘to singe, burn,’ literally ‘to cause to singe or crackle’; a factitive of Middle High German and Modern High German singen, with a peculiar development of meaning, which is shared by the English to singe, from Anglo-Saxon *sęnğęan.
Senkel, masculine,‘plumb-line,’ from Middle High German sęnkel, masculine, ‘plumb-line, lace,’ also ‘anchor, drag-net,’ Old High German sęnchil, ‘anchor, drag-net.’ Allied to senken, Middle High German sęnken, Old High German sęnchen, ‘to lower’ (factitive of sinken; compare Old Saxon sęnkian, Gothic sagqjan, ‘to lower, let down’).
Senne, masculine, ‘cowherd,’ Modern High German only, Middle High German *senne is not recorded, but in late Middle High German (rarely), sęnnœ̂re, ‘herdsman, cowherd.’ The antiquity of the Modern High German term is attested, however, by Old High German sęnno, masculine, ‘herdsman,’ as well as by late Middle High German sęnne, ‘pasture on the Alps.’ On account of the restriction of the cognates to Upper German the origin of the word is not quite certain; it is usually connected with Sahne (Gothic *sana, ‘cream,’ *sanja, ‘cowherd’).
Sense, feminine, ‘scythe,’ from Middle High German sē̆́nse, sëgense, Old High German sëgansa, feminine, ‘sickle, scythe’ (for the suffix see Ahle); corresponding to Old Saxon *sëgasna (sëgisna), Dutch zeissen, ‘scythe.’ From a Teutonic root seg, ‘to cut’ (see Säge), whence Old Icelandic sigðr, Anglo-Saxon sigðe, sîþe, feminine, English scythe, Low German sicht; primitively allied to Latin secare and securis, Aryan root sek, ‘to cut.’
Sente, feminine, ‘herd,’ Modern High German only; allied to Senne.
Sessel, masculine, ‘settle,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sëȥȥel, Old High German sëȥȥal, masculine; corresponding to Anglo-Saxon setl, English settle, Gothic sitls, masculine, ‘seat, stool.’ A derivative of the Teutonic root set, ‘to sit,’ like Latin sella, for *sedla from sêdeo; compare also Greek ἔδρα, from ἔζομαι, Old Slovenian sedlo, ‘saddle,’ from sĕsti, ‘to sit down’; compare siedeln.
Sester, masculine, ‘bushel,’ of the same origin as Sechter.
seßhaft, adjective, ‘settled, stationary, residing, from Middle High German sëȥhaft, ‘settled, residing,’ allied to Middle High German and Old High German sëȥ, ‘seat, residence’; akin to sitzen.
setzen, verb, ‘to set, put, place,’ from Middle High German sętzen, Old High German sęzzen, ‘to set, cause to sit’; an Old Teutonic factitive of sitzen. Compare Gothic saljan (whence Italian sagire, French saisir), Anglo-Saxon sęttan, English to set, Dutch zetten, Old Saxon sęttian, Old Icelandic setja, ‘to set.’
Seuche, feminine, ‘epidemic, plague,’ from ​Middle High German siuche, Old High German siuhhî, feminine, ‘disease’; abstract of siech.
seufzen, verb, ‘to sigh, lament,’ from the equivalent Middle High German siufzen, siuften; the z of the Middle High German form is due to the influence of the intensives in -zen; in Old High German sûftôn, sûfteôn, ‘to sigh,’ allied to Middle High German sûft, ‘sigh.’ The latter is an abstract from Old High German sûfan, ‘to drink’; hence seufzen, literally ‘drawing in the breath’; it is related to saufen, as schluchzen is to schlucken. Note, however, English to sob, Middle English sobbin, Anglo-Saxon *sobbian, ‘to sob, sigh,’ which may be allied to Old High German sûfteôn.
sich, pronoun, ‘himself, herself,’ &c., from the equivalent Middle High German sich, accusative and dative, Old High German sih, accusative; corresponding to the equivalent Old Low German and Gothic sik, accusative. Compare Latin se, Greek ἐ, Old Slovenian sę, accusative, ‘himself,’ &c. (sebě, dative, like Latin sibi); Sanscrit sva, ‘own,’ Latin suus, Greek ἑός, ὅς. Hence even in Aryan there existed a reflex. pronoun sve-, se-. Further details belong to grammar.
Sichel, feminine, ‘sickle,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sichel, Old High German sihhila, feminine; corresponding to Dutch zikkel, Anglo-Saxon sicol, English sickle. It is perhaps borrowed from Latin secula (Italian segolo, ‘bill, hedging bill’). On account of the agreement of the English with the German term, it must have been introduced in the 5th century, which date also explains the permutation of Latin k to High German ch. On the other hand, Sichel and its cognates may be regarded as genuine Teutonic words (Teutonic sikilô-); the German word looks like a diminutive of Modern High German Sech, which points to Teutonic sëko-, and more remotely to the Aryan root seg, sok (see Sense).
sicher, adjective, ‘sure, certain, trusty,’ from Middle High German sicher, Old High German sihhū̆r, ‘careless, unconcerned; sure, protected, confident’; to these are allied Old Saxon and Anglo-Saxon sicor, ‘free from guilt and punishment,’ Middle English sîker, Dutch zeker (Old High German sihhorô(illegible text), ‘to justify, protect, promise, vow,’ Old Saxon sicorôn, ‘to set free’). It is based on the common West Teutonic loan-word Latin sêcûrus (phonetic intermediate form sĕcûrus, the accent of which was Germanised when the word was borrowed); compare Italian sicuro, French sûr. The term was naturalised in German before the 7th century, as is shown by the permutation of k to ch. Was it first introduced through the medium of legal phraseology? Compare Old High German sihhorôn, ‘to justify, purgare.’
Sicht, singular, ‘sight,’ from Middle High German siht, feminine, ‘appearance, view’; verbal abstract from sehen; compare English sight, from to see.
sichten, verb, ‘to sift, winnow,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German sichten, earlier Dutch zichten, ‘to sift’; these are derived from an older siften, with a Low German change of ft to ht; Modern Dutch ziften, with an abnormal ft (for gt), is based on zeef, ‘sieve.’ Compare Anglo-Saxon siftan, English to sift. A derivative of the root sib, ‘to sift’; see Sieb.
sickern, verb, ‘to trickle, drop,’ Modern High German only, from Low German?. Compare Anglo-Saxon sicerian, ‘to trickle, ooze’; allied to seichen and sinken (Teutonic root sī̆k, sī̆h, from Aryan sig, sik).
sie, pronoun, ‘she, her, it, they, them’; from Middle High German sie, si (sî), nominative and accusative singular feminine, nominative and accusative plural, masculine, feminine, and neuter, Old High German siu, sī̆, nominative singular feminine, sié, nominative and accusative plural. For further details see grammars.
Sieb, neuter, ‘sieve,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sip (b), Old High German sib, neuter; compare the equivalent Dutch zeef (and zift); Anglo-Saxon sife, neuter, English sieve; derived, like siftan, ‘to sift’ (see sichten), from a root sib (seb), which is not found elsewhere.
sieben, numeral ‘seven,’ from the equivalent Middle High German siben, Old High German sibun; corresponding to Gothic sibun, Anglo-Saxon seofon, English seven, Dutch zeven, Old Saxon siƀun, ‘seven’; originally septn. Like all units, a common Aryan word; compare Sanscrit saptan, Greek ἑπτά, Latin septem, Old Slovenian sedmĭ, Old Irish secht, ‘seven.’ The t of the Aryan primary form septn- disappears in primitively Teutonic between p and n.
siech, adjective, ‘sickly, infirm,’ from Middle High German siech, Old High German sioh (hh), adjective, ‘sick’; corresponding to Old Saxon siok, Dutch ziek, Anglo-Saxon seóc, English sick, Old Icelandic sjúkr, Gothic siuks, ‘sick.’ The Old Teutonic term for ‘sick, ill,’ compared with the Modern German word krank; compare the difference in meaning between Modern High German siech and Seuche. To this Sucht is allied (and schwach?), as well as Gothic siukan, strong verb, ‘to be weak.’ A pre-Teutonic root sug is wanting.
siedeln, verb, ‘to settle, establish,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sidelen; allied to Middle High German sëdel, Old High German sëdal, masculine and neuter, ‘seat, settle, residence,’ a variant of Sessel, Gothic sitls (*siþls). There are several examples of the change of tl to þl (parallel to that of tn to þn in Boden). Compare also Einsiedel.
sieden, verb, ‘to seethe, boil, stew,’ from Middle High German sieden, Old High German siodan, ‘to seethe, cook’; compare Dutch zieden, Anglo-Saxon seóðan, English to seethe, Old Icelandic sjóða, ‘to seethe, cook.’ In ​Gothic the only allied term is sauþs, masculine, ‘offering’ (Old Icelandic sauðr, ‘sheep,’ properly ‘sacrificial animal’). An Aryan root sut seems to be wanting in the cognate languages.
Siedler, masculine, ‘settler’; compare Einsiedel.
Sieg, masculine, ‘victory, triumph, conquest,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sige, also sic (g), Old High German sigi, sigu, masculine; a common Teutonic word; compare Gothic sigis, Old Icelandic sigr, Anglo-Saxon segor and sige, Dutch zege. The great antiquity of the Teutonic stem segoz, sigiz, is attested both by the proper names Segi-mêrus, Segi-mundus, and Segestes, mentioned by Tacitus, and by the terms in the cognate languages; Aryan séghos, neuter, ‘prevailing might,’ is implied also by Indian sáhas and Zend hazaṅh, ‘power, might, victory.’ Compare Sanscrit sah, ‘to overpower, vanquish, conquer,’ to which Greek ἔχω (aorist ἔ-σχ-ον) and Old Irish segaim, ‘I attain,’ are closely allied.
Siegel, neuter, ‘seal, signet,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German sigel, masculine (wanting in Old High German); in the classical period Middle High German insigel, insigele, Old High German insigili, neuter. It cannot be determined whether Middle High German sigel, which was substituted for the latter term, was borrowed at a later period from Latin sigillum, or whether it was formed again from Middle High German besigelen (Old High German bisigelen), ‘to seal,’ and entsigelen (Old High German intsigilen), ‘to unseal’; nor is it known how Old High German insigili is related to Latin sigillum. In Gothic a term sigljô, neuter, occurs.
Siele, feminine, ‘brace, strap,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sile, Old High German silo; the latter is allied to the root sī̆, ‘to bind,’ in Seil; on the Middle High German variant sil are based Modern High German Sill, neuter, and Sille, feminine.
Sigrist, masculine, ‘sexton, sacristan,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sigriste, Old High German (also Old Low German) sigristo; borrowed during the Old High German period contemporaneously with Priester, predigen, and especially with Küster and Meßner, from Latin sacrista, whose Middle Latin variant segrista(nus) leads to Old French segretain (in Modern French sacristain, Italian sagrestano, English sexton).
Silbe, feminine, ‘syllable,’ from the equivalent Middle High German silbe, earlier sillabe, Old High German sillaba, feminine; borrowed from Latin and Greek syllaba, probably at the same period as Schule, and the words relating to writing, such as Brief and schreiben.
Silber, neuter, ‘silver,’ from the equivalent Middle High German silber, Old High German silbar, earlier silabar, neuter; a common Teutonic word with corresponding forms; compare Gothic silubr, Anglo-Saxon seolofer, seolfor, English silver, Dutch zilver, Old Saxon silaƀar. Tins primitively Teutonic term is pre-historically connected (compare Gold) with the equivalent Slavonic cognates, Old Slovenian sĭrebro, Lithuanian sidabras. The implied *siloƀro- is certainly not an Aryan word; perhaps the Teutons adopted it in their migration from a non-Aryan tribe and transmitted it to the Slavs. The Latin-Greek term argentum, ἄργυρος, seems, like the equivalent Sanscrit rajatá (in the Vedas silver is unknown), to point to a primitively Aryan term of which Teutonic has retained no trace. Another non-Aryan word of prehistoric Teutonic is Hanf.
Sill, neuter, ‘tether, string’; see Siele, so too Sille.
Simmer, neuter ‘half a bushel,’ for earlier Modern High German and Middle High German sümmer, whose variants sümber, sumber (sümbrîn), lead to Old High German sumbir (sumbrîn). ‘basket.’ The suffix în occurs in several terms denoting vessels (see Kessel); the syllable ber in Middle High German sümber recalls Eimer and Zuber.
Simpel, masculine, ‘simpleton,’ Modern High German only, from the adjective simpel, which comes from French simple.
Sims, masculine and neuter, ‘cornice, shelf, mantelpiece,’ from the equivalent Middle High German simȥ, simeȥ, Old High German simiȥ (Old High German simiȥstein, ‘capitellum’); a corresponding *simito- is wanting in the other Teutonic languages; its pre-historic existence is proved by its kinship with Latin sîma, ‘ogee, moulding.’ To Middle High German simeȥ belongs the properly collective gesimeȥe, Modern High German Gesims. The derivation from French cymaise (Greek κυμάτιον) is inconceivable.
Sinau, masculine, ‘lady's mantle’; the earlier Modern High German variants Sindau and Sindawe point to Middle High German and Old High German *sintou, whose literally sense, ‘ever-dew’ (see Singrün), characterises the plant more simply than the terms Taubehalt, literally ‘dew-holder,’ and Tanschlüssel, literally ‘dew-key,’ which are applied to it.
Sindflut, see Sündflut.
singen, verb, ‘to sing, chant,’ from the equivalent Middle High German singen, Old High German and Old Saxon singan; a common Teutonic verb occurring in the same sense in all the dialects; compare Gothic seggwan, Old Icelandic syngva, Anglo-Saxon singan, English to sing, Dutch zingen (yet Gothic also ‘to read,’ Old High German also ‘to crow’). The Teutonic root singw, which appears also in Sang, &c., is only doubtfully related to some terms in the non-Teutonic languages; it is said to be primitively allied to sagen (Teutonic root sag, from Aryan seq), and to this there is no phonetic ​objection. It is more probably connected with Greek ὀμφή, ‘voice, speech, oracle,’ if a pre-historic root sengh be assumed. Compare sengen, and, for other Teutonic artistic expressions, Lied and Harfe.
Singrün, neuter, ‘periwinkle,’ Modern High German only, properly a Low German word; compare Anglo-Saxon and Middle English singrêne, Old Icelandic sí-grœ́nn, ‘semperviva’; sin, ‘always,’ is an Old Teutonic prefix connected with Latin sem-per. Compare Sündflut.
sinken, verb, ‘to sink, fall, abate,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sinken, Old High German sinchan; a common Teutonic strong verb (for its causative see senken). Compare Gothic sigqan, Old Icelandic sokkra, Anglo-Saxon sincan, English to sink, Dutch zinken, Old Saxon sincan. The a-root senq, contained in these words, seems to have originated in an i-root sī̆q, which appears in the parallel form sī̆hw in Modern High German seihen, as well as Old High German sîgan, Middle High German sîgen, ‘to drip.’ The pre-Teutonic root sig, siq appears in Old Slovenian sĭcati, ‘to make water,’ sĭčĭ}, ‘urine,’ as well as in Sanscrit sic, ‘to wet, pour out,’ whose present appears in a nasalised form Modern High German seihen is based upon Teutonic saik, pre-Teutonic síg.
Sinn, masculine, ‘sense, meaning, import,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German sin (nn), masculine; compare Old Frisian sin. It cannot be borrowed from Latin sensus, since a Middle High German and Modern High German strong verb sinnen co-exists with the substantive. The corresponding Old High German verb, sinnan signifies only ‘to travel, strive, go’; which certainly suggests that Middle High German and Modern High German sinnen derived its meaning from Old High German sin, ‘sensus.’ The relation of Old High German sin, ‘senses,’ to sinnan, ‘to set out, go in any direction,’ may be inferred from its early history. The root of Old High German sinnan is the same as that of Teutonic sinþo-, ‘way, journey’ (compare Gesinde), sinnan being based on a pre-historic sentno-. In Latin sentire, ‘to feel,’ the Aryan root sent (compare Irish sét, ‘way’) has an abstract meaning (see sehen), which is also shared by Old High German sinno-. From the Old High German word the equivalent Romance cognate Italian senno is derived.
sintemal, conjunction, ‘since, whereas,’ from Middle High German sintemâl, for sint dëm mâle, ‘since then.’ Compare seit.
Sinter, masculine, ‘dross of iron, scale,’ from Middle High German sinter (sinder), Old High German sintar, masculine, ‘slag, slack’; compare Old Icelandic sindr, Anglo-Saxon sinder, ‘slag, dross’ (English sinter is a High German loan-word). References in the non-Teutonic languages are uncertain.
Sippe, feminine, ‘kin, kindred, family,’ from Middle High German sippe, Old High German sippa, feminine, ‘consanguinity’; corresponding to the equivalent Old Saxon sibbea, Anglo-Saxon sibb, Gothic sibja. The pre-historic form sebhyâ indicates a kinship with Sanscrit sabhâ, ‘tribe, tribal union, kin.’ In Old Icelandic mythology Sif is worshipped as the goddess of the family, and especially of marriage.
Sippschaft, from Middle High German sipschaft, feminine, equivalent to Middle High German sippe.
Sitte, feminine, ‘custom, manner, good-breeding,’ from the equivalent Middle High German site, masculine (rarely feminine), Old High German situ, masculine; a common Teutonic word; compare the equivalent Gothic sidus, Old Icelandic siðr, Anglo-Saxon sidu (wanting in English), Dutch zede, Old Saxon sidu. It is very probably allied primitively to Greek ἔθω, genitive ἔθεος (Aryan primary form sédhos), ‘custom,’ but its connection with Greek ἔ-μος, ‘true,’ is less likely.
Sittich, masculine, ‘parrot,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sittich, masculine, beside which Middle High German and Modern High German psittich also occurs. Borrowed in the Old High German period from Latin and Greek psittacus, contemporaneously with Pfau.
sitzen, verb, ‘to sit, fit, suit,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sitzen, Old High German sizzen (from *sizzean, earlier *sittian); a primitively Teutonic and also common Aryan strong verb from the Aryan root sē̆d, Teutonic sē̆t. Compare Gothic sitan, Anglo-Saxon sittan, English to sit, Dutch zitten, Old Saxon sittian, ‘to sit, be seated.’ It corresponds to Sanscrit sad, Greek ἔζομαι (for *σεδjο-), Latin sêdeo, Old Slovenian sędą (sěsti). For the corresponding causative see setzen. It is unnecessary to adduce further derivatives from this very large Aryan class (such as Latin sîdo, Greek ἱδρύω, Latin sella, &c.).
Six, feminine (in the asseveration bei meiner Six, ‘in faith, forsooth’), Modern High German only; early history obscure.
Skizze, feminine, ‘sketch,’ Modern High German only, formed from Italian schizzo, which comes from Latin schedium?. Compare also Zettel.
Sklave, masculine, ‘slave,’ from late Middle High German slave, sklave, masculine, ‘slave,’ properly ‘a captive of war.’ Derived from the national designation Slave (Middle Latin Sclavus, Slavus) during the German war of annihilation against the Slavs. Anglo-Saxon wealh, ‘Celt’ and ‘slave,’ is similarly derived. The German word Sklave passed into other Teutonic and Romance languages; compare Dutch slaaf, English slave, French esclave, Italian schiavo.
Skrupel, masculine, ‘scruple,’ early Modern High German only, formed from Latin scrupulus.
Smaragd, masculine, ‘emerald,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German smaragd (smarât), masculine ​A learned term formed from Latin smaragdus.
so, adverb, ‘thus, so,’ from Middle High German and Old High German sô; corresponding to Old Saxon sô, which seems to represent *swô, although its relation to Anglo-Saxon swâ (English so) and Gothic swa, ‘thus,’ cannot be accurately ascertained. Compare als, also, and solch. The early history of this pronominal adverb (‘in this way’) is obscure; the fact that it assumed the function of a relative (i.e., was used as a conjunction) corresponds to a similar change in the use of der; sô appears as a relative particle in Middle High German, but rarely in Old High German.
Socke, feminine, ‘sock,’ from Middle High German soc (ck), socke, Old High German soccho, masculine, ‘stocking’; borrowed like Dutch zok, English sock, Old Icelandic sokkr, from the Latin-Romance term soccus (Italian socco, ‘light shoe worn by comedians,’ French soc). It was introduced contemporaneously with the term derived from Latin sûtor (see Schuster) and with Sohle (2). —
Sockel, masculine, ‘plinth,’ Modern High German only, formed from French socle (Latin socculus).
Sod, masculine, usually Sotbrennen, ‘heartburn,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sôt (d), masculine and neuter, which literally means ‘bubbling, boiling,’ a derivative of Middle High German sieden. Hence Modern High German Sod, signifying ‘broth, well,’ as well as the local name Soden.
sofern, conjunction (insofern), ‘so far, in case,’ even in Middle High German sô vërre.
Sohle (1.), feminine, Modern High German only, formed like the equivalent English sole, Swedish sola, from the Latin-Romance term solea, ‘flat fish’; compare French sole, Italian soglia. Is the term Scholle (Dutch schol) derived from the same source?
Sohle (2.), feminine, ‘sole (of the foot),’ from the equivalent Middle High German sol, sole, Old High German sola, feminine; borrowed contemporaneously with Socke prior to the Old High German period from Latin *sŏla (a variant of sŏlea), which is implied by Italian suolo, French sole, ‘sole.’ Latin sŏlea, whence Italian soglia, French seuil, ‘threshold,’ is probably the source of Gothic sulja, ‘sole.’ The primary kinship of Old High German sola with Latin solea (Greek ὑλιώ) is conceivable if Schwelle is allied.
Sohn, masculine, ‘son,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German sun, earlier Old High German sunu, masculine; a common Teutonic, and further a common Aryan word (compare Tochter, Vater, and Mutter); corresponding to Gothic sunus, Anglo-Saxon sunu, English son, Dutch zoon, Old Saxon sunu. To these Sanscrit sûnú; Zend hunu, Old Slovenian synŭ, and Lithuanian sûnús, ‘son,’ are primitively allied. The root sū̆ (compare Sanscrit sû, ‘to give birth to’; see Sau), contained in this stem sū̆-nú-, also forms the base of Greek υἱός (dialectic υἱύς), ‘son,’ which points to Aryan sū̆-yú- (suiw-). Compare Schnur.
solch, pronoun, ‘such,’ from the equivalent Middle High German solich, solh (sülich), Old High German sulih, solih (hh and single h); corresponding to Old Saxon sulic, and Dutch zulk. Just as Anglo-Saxon swâ and Gothic swa represent High German and Low German sô, so Anglo-Saxon swylč (English such), and Gothic swaleiks, ‘such,’ represent sulîk. For the form and meaning of the Teutonic suffix lîko (liho-) compare lich and welcher.
Sold, masculine, ‘pay, salary,’ from Middle High German solt (d), masculine, ‘reward for service done,’ also ‘that which is to be performed, duty, service.’ It first appears in Middle High German about 1200 A.D., and is derived from French solde, ‘soldier's pay,’ which is properly the coin, Latin solidus, Italian soldo (Modern French sou); yet the double sense in Middle High German can only be explained by the influence of the verb sollen. —
Soldat, masculine, ‘soldier,’ an early Modern High German loan-word, based on Italian soldato, whence also French soldat (English soldier comes from Old French soldoier); in Middle High German the term soldenœre with a Teutonic suffix was used, and signified ‘paid warrior, mercenary.’
sollen, verb, ‘to owe, be in duty bond, be said to,’ from Middle High German soln (scholn), Old High German solan (scolan), preterite present, ‘to owe, be obliged, be allowed, become, be indebted, be fitting.’ The corresponding abstract Schuld, feminine, ‘debt, guilt,’ proves, like Gothic skulan, ‘to be indebted, be bond to pay,’ that skal, ‘to owe,’ is the root (the loss of the guttural, by which the 1st person skal became sol in Old High German and Middle High German, is surprising). From this root a preterite present common to Teutonic was formed, which assumed the function of an auxiliary verb; compare English shall and Dutch zal. For further details see grammars.
Söller, neuter, ‘upper room, garret, balcony,’ from Middle High German sölre (solre), masculine, ‘flat roof, floor in the first storey,’ Old High German soleri for solări, originally sŏlâri, from Latin sôlârium, ‘flat house-top, terrace, balcony,’ whence also Old Saxon soleri, Dutch zolder, English sollar, ‘open gallery or balcony, loft, garret’ (Anglo-Saxon solor). Corresponding to Old French solier, ‘granary,’ Italian solajo, solare, ‘ceiling.’ The word was borrowed prior to the Old High German period, contemporaneously with Speicher, Keller, Mauer, and Ziegel.
Solper, masculine, ‘brine, pickle,’ properly a Lower Rhenish word, whose first component is Dutch solt, ‘salt’; probably Dutch soltbrijn, ‘brine, ​pickle,’ appears in the compound, which has also been regarded as identical with Salpeter.
Sommer, masculine, ‘summer,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sumer, Old High German sumar, masculine; common to Teutonic in a similar form; compare Dutch zomer, Anglo-Saxon sumor, English summer, Old Icelandic sumar. Sanscrit samâ, ‘year,’ Zend ham, ‘summer,’ Armenian amaṙn, ‘summer’ (but am, ‘year’), Old Irish sam, samrad, Cymric ham, haf, ‘summer,’ are cognate terms with different suffixes. Compare Lenz, Winter, and Herbst.
sonder, preposition, ‘without,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sunder, which is properly an adverb, ‘aside, separately,’ but in Old High German and Middle High German it is frequently a conjunction, ‘but, rather.’ Compare Old High German suntar, adverb, ‘separately, especially, but,’ Gothic sundrô, ‘separated, alone,’ Anglo-Saxon sundor, English asunder, Dutch zonder, ‘without.’ Allied to Greek ἄτερ, ‘without,’ from the primary form sntér? With this word is connected besonders, from Middle High German besunder, ‘separately, singly.’ —
sonderbar, adjective, ‘peculiar, strange, odd,’ from Middle High German sunderbœre, ‘distinguished,’
sonderlich, adjective, ‘special, peculiar,’ from Middle High German and Old High German sunderlîch, ‘singly, especially, distinguished’;
sondern, verb, ‘to separate, sever,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sundern, Old High German suntarôn; sondern, conjunction, ‘but,’ from Middle High German suntern, a variant of sunder, ‘but, meanwhile.’
Sonne, feminine, ‘sun,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sunne, Old High German sunna, feminine; a common Teutonic term; compare Gothic sunnô, feminine and neuter, Anglo-Saxon sunne, feminine, English sun, Dutch zon, Old Saxon sunna, feminine. In Old Saxon and Old High German (Middle High German) sunno (sunne) also occurs as masculine, which is similar to Old High German stër-no, mâ-no (see Stern). Old Icelandic sól (corresponding to Gothic souil, Anglo-Saxon sôl), the only term used in Modern Scandinavian, is primitively allied to Latin sôl, Greek ἥλιος, ‘sun,’ which, like Sanscrit svar, ‘sun,’ are based on an Aryan root sā̆́w, sū̆ ‘to give light’; on this root the common Teutonic term sunnôn- may also be based. —
Sonnabend, masculine, ‘Saturday,’ even in Middle High German sun-ábent, sunnen-âbent, Old High German sunnân-âband (also Samstag, Old High German sambaȥ-tac). Middle High German âbent is frequently used of the eve of a festival. In Anglo-Saxon the corresponding sunnan-œ̂fen is used only of the ‘eve of Sunday.’ It follows from what has been said under Fastnacht that the name of a part of the day was in German applied to the whole day. According to the article Samstag, a native term for Saturday seems to have been wanting among the Teutons (perhaps they had originally a week of only six days). Moreover, Sonnabend is really Middle German and Low German. —
Sonntag, masculine, ‘Sunday,’ from Middle High German sun-tac, sunnen-tac, Old High German sunnûntag, seems to have been even the pre-Christian term, as may be inferred from the agreement with Old Saxon sunnun-dag, Dutch zondag, English Sunday (but Old Icelandic dróttensdagr, ‘Lord's day’). Compare Montag.
sonst, adverb, ‘else, otherwise, formerly,’ from Middle High German sunst, sust, earlier Middle High German and Old High German sus, ‘thus’ (the change in meaning from ‘thus’ to ‘else’ is generally explained by the ellipse of a negative particle). Old High German and Old Saxon sus, Dutch zus, ‘thus,’ seem to be of the same stem as Old High German and Middle High German sô.
Sorge, feminine, ‘care, anxiety, sorrow,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sorge, Old High German soraga, feminine, whose Franconian variant sworga makes it probable that the word was derived from an Aryan root swerk (to which Old Irish serc, ‘love,’ is allied?) or Aryan swergh (compare Lithuanian sergéti, ‘to guard’). Yet the forms in the other Teutonic dialects have not the w; compare Gothic saúrga, Anglo-Saxon sorh, English sorrow, Dutch zorg, Old Saxon sorga. Nothing certain can be asserted concerning the early history of the word.
Sorte, feminine, ‘sort, kind, species,’ Modern High German only, formed from Ital sorta.
spähen, verb, ‘to spy,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spëhen, Old High German spëhôn. This word and the Old High German and Old Saxon adjective spâhi, Middle High German spœhe, ‘prudent, skilful’ (and Dutch bespieden, ‘to spy’?), are the sole relics of the Old Teutonic root speh, ‘to see,’ which, through Latin spec in speculum, conspicio, adspectus, as well as through Sanscrit spaç, ‘to see’ (Greek σκέπ-τω for *σπέκτω?), is proved to be primitively Aryan (Aryan root spek). From the Teutonic cognates those of Italian spiare, French épier, ‘to spy out’ (Italian spione, French espion, ‘spy,’ whence English spy), were borrowed at an early period.
spalten, verb, ‘to split, cleave,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spalten, Old High German spaltan; compare Middle Low German spǫlden, Middle Dutch spalden, ‘to split.’ A strong verb peculiar to the Teutons of Middle Europe, and based on an Aryan root, sphalt; compare Sanscrit sphuṭ, sphaṭ (for sphlt), ‘to crack’ (causative ‘to split’). Probably connected with Middle High German spëlte, ‘lance splinter,’ Gothic spilda, ‘tablet,’ Old Icelandic spjald, ‘tablet.’
Span, masculine, ‘sharing, chip, splinter,’ from Middle High German and Old High German spân, masculine, ‘chip,’ Dutch spaan, ‘chip, blade of an oar,’ Anglo-Saxon spôn, ​English spoon, as well as Old Icelandic spónn, spánn, ‘splinter of wood, spoon,’ attest the double sense of primitively Teutonic spênu-, of whose early history, on account of the want of cognate terms in the non-Teutonic languages, nothing can be definitely ascertained. The connection with Greek σπά-θη, ‘spoon for stirring’ (see Spaten), is uncertain.
Spanferkel, neuter, ‘sucking pig,’ a diminutive of Middle High German spęnvarch, neuter, ‘sucking pig’ (also in Middle High German spęn-sû-, -swîn). The first component is Middle High German spęn, feminine, ‘breast, milk,’ on whose equivalent variant spüne, spünne, Middle High German spünnevęrchelîn, ‘sucking pig,’ is based. Compare Dutch speen, ‘udder,’ and Old High German spunni, feminine, ‘breast,’ whose root is perhaps the same as that of spannen; akin also to Lithuanian spenýs, ‘teat.’
Spange, feminine, ‘clasp, buckle, bracelet,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spange; Old High German spanga, feminine; a common Teutonic term; compare Old Icelandic spǫng, Anglo-Saxon spange, ‘clasp’ (to which English spangle, properly a diminutive, is allied), Dutch spang. Its early history is obscure.
Spanne, feminine, ‘span,’ from Middle High German spanne, Old High German spanna, feminine; ‘width of the outstretched hand’ (from this Italian spanna and French empan, ‘a measure of length,’ are borrowed); allied to spannen, ‘to stretch, expand, span,’ Middle High German spannen, Old High German spannan, strong verb, which corresponds to Dutch spannen, Anglo-Saxon spannan, English to span. The root span, ‘to draw,’ seems to be connected with the cognates discussed under Spanferkel and Gespenst, perhaps even with those of spinnen.
sparen, verb, ‘to save, economise, lay up,’ from Middle High German sparn, Old High German sparôn, ‘to save, spare, preserve, lay up,’ Denominative of Old High German spar, ‘thrifty’ (Anglo-Saxon spœr, for which sparsam, ‘thrifty,’ first occurs in Modern High German; Middle High German spęrlîche, ‘in a frugal manner,’ is the corresponding adverb, but it was changed in Modern High German into an adjective, spärlich, ‘frugal’); in Old High German sparhęnti, Anglo-Saxon spœrhęnde, ‘thrifty.’ Compare Dutch sparen, Anglo-Saxon sparian, English to spare, Old Icelandic spara, No connection with Greek σπαρνός, ‘scarce, few, seldom’ (allied to σπείρω, ‘to sow, scatter’), is conceivable.
Spargel, masculine, ‘asparagus,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spargel; the latter was formed from Latin asparagus, which was also the source of the equivalent Dutch aspersie, French asperge, Italian sparagio. Note Swiss šparse.
spärlich, see sparen.
Sparren, masculine, ‘spar, raster,’ from MidHigh German sparre, Old High German sparro, masculine, ‘pole, beam’; corresponding to Dutch and English spar, Old Icelandic sparre, ‘beam.’ There are no cognate terms in the non-Teutonic languages. See sperren.
Spaß, masculine, ‘jest, joke, fun,’ Modern High German only, formed from Italian spasso, ‘pleasure, pastime.’
spät, adjective and adverb, ‘late(ly), backward,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spœte, Old High German spâti, adjective (but Middle High German spâte, Old High German spâto, adverb); compare Dutch spade, ‘late.’ Gothic preserves only spêdiza, ‘later,’ and spêdists, ‘latest, last, least.’ The Teutonic spêd- cannot be traced farther.
Spat, masculine, ‘spar’ (mineral), from Middle High German spât, masculine, ‘foliated stone, splinter,’ whence Dutch spaath, French spath, and Italian spato, ‘felspar,’ seem to be derived. Its origin is obscure, as in the case of Quarz.
Spaten, masculine, ‘spade,’ Modern High German only; Middle High German spate may be inferred from the Middle High German and Modern High German diminutive spatel, ‘little shovel’; the implied Old High German *spato agrees with Old Saxon spado, Dutch spade (spa), Anglo-Saxon spada, English spade. These Old Teutonic cognates are primitively allied to Greek σπάθη, ‘(blade of a) sword.’ Italian spada, ‘sword’ (to which French épée is allied), is usually derived from Greek rather than from Teutonic.
Spatz, masculine, ‘sparrow,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German spatz, masculine; a pet term peculiar to High German, and allied to Middle High German spar (see Sperling). The assumed originally connection with the equivalent Latin passer (for *spat-ter?) is less probable.
spazieren, verb, ‘to walk,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spatzieren. Borrowed in the 13th century from Italian spaziare, ‘to roam.’
Specht, masculine, ‘woodpecker,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German spëht, masculine; Dutch specht and English speight, ‘woodpecker,’ are German loan-words; also Old High German and Middle High German spëch (from a Teutonic spëcca are derived Old French espeche, Modern French epeiche, ‘woodpecker’). Probably cognate with Latin pîcus, ‘woodpecker’; the name is said to mean ‘speckled,’ and is usually connected with Latin pingo, ‘I paint,’ pictus (Greek ποικίλος), ‘ornate,’ or with English speck, Anglo-Saxon spëcca, ‘spot.’ If Old High German spëht (Dutch specht) be not allied to Latin pîcus, it may be referred as ‘spy, watcher,’ to the root of spähen, ‘to spy.’ Derivative Spessart, equivalent to Spëhtes hart, literally ‘woodpecker's forest.’
Speck, masculine, ‘bacon, lard, fat,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spëc (ck), Old High German spëcch, masculine; corresponding to Dutch spek, Anglo-Saxon spic, Old Icelandic spik, neuter, ‘blubber.’ A primitively Teutonic term, ​which is usually connected with Sanscrit pîvan, ‘fat,’ Greek πίων, ‘fat,’ Zend pivaṅh, ‘bacon,’ the w being assumed to be changed into q (see feck and Speichel).
Speer, masculine, ‘spear,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German spër, masculine; common to Teutonic, with the corresponding terms, Old Icelandic spjǫr, plural, ‘spear,’ Anglo-Saxon spëre, English spear, Dutch speer, Old Saxon spër (from Teutonic spër is derived Old French espier). It is uncertain how the word is connected with Latin sparus, ‘hunting-spear’; it may be cognate, or the two languages may have borrowed it from a third. Its relation to Sparren and Sporn is doubtful.
Speiche, feminine, ‘spoke,’ from the equivalent Middle High German speiche, Old High German speihha, feminine; a West Teutonic word; compare Anglo-Saxon spâce, English spoke, Dutch speek, Old Low German spêca, ‘spoke.’ Its connection with Old High German spahha, ‘chip, stick,’ Dutch spaak, ‘rafter,’ is not certain. Speiche is derived from a primitively Teutonic spī̆k; so too the cognates of Modern High German Speichernagel, whose first component is Modern High German (simply Middle German) spîcher, masculine, ‘nail.’ This corresponds to Dutch spijker, ‘nail,’ Old Icelandic spik, ‘spike, sprig,’ and English spike.
Speichel, masculine, ‘spittle, saliva,’ from the equivalent Middle High German speichel, Old High German speihhilla, speihhila, feminine; allied to Dutch speeksel (Gothic *spaikuldr?), ‘spittle.’ It is uncertain in what way these cognates are connected with the root spîw, ‘to spit’ (see speien and spucken).
Speicher, masculine, ‘granary, corn-loft,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spîcher, Old High German spîhheri (spîhhâri), masculine; corresponding to Old Saxon spîkâri and Dutch spijker. The permutation of the medial k to hh in High German indicates that the word was borrowed before the 8th century (see Spelt). Latin spîcârium, ‘granary,’ was probably introduced in the 4th century from the South of Europe with the art of building in stone (see Keller, also Söller and Ziegel); it is remarkable, however, that the word rarely occurs in the Romance languages; Speicher is also wanting in Bavarian. Compare also Speiche.
speien, verb, ‘to spit, vomit,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spîen, Old High German spîwan, strong verb; a root verb common to Teutonic and found also in other Aryan languages. Compare Gothic speiwan, Old Icelandic spýja, Anglo-Saxon and Old Saxon spîwan, English spew and Dutch spuwen, ‘to spit’; corresponding to the equivalent Latin spuo, Greek πτύω, Lithuanian spiáuju, Old Slovenian pljują, Sanscrit šṭhîv. Speichel and speutzen are also connected probably with this common Aryan root spī̆w, ‘to spit.’
Speise, feminine, ‘food,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spîse, Old High German spîsa, feminine; borrowed in the beginning of the 9th century from Italian and Middle Latin spêsa for spensa (with regard to Old High German î for Latin ê, see Feier and Seide). Compare Italian spesa, ‘expenditure, expenses’ (whence Spesen), from Italian spéndere, ‘to spend’ (see spenden), equivalent to Latin expendere. Speise may have been borrowed contemporaneously with Schüffel; compare further Gothic mêsa and Old High German miasa, from Latin mensa.
Spelt, Spelz, masculine, ‘spelt,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spëlte, spëlze, Old High German spëlta, spëlza, feminine; corresponding. to Anglo-Saxon, English, and Dutch spelt. The Old High German form spëlza (equivalent to Anglo-Saxon spelt) was borrowed, as the z indicates, prior to the Old High German period (perhaps contemporaneously with Speicher, Pflanze, and kochen) from Latin and Italian spelta, while the Old High German variant spëlta points to Italian spelda. Compare also with these French épeautre, ‘spelt.’
Spende, feminine, ‘spending, alms,’ from Middle High German spënde, Old High German spënta, feminine, ‘present, gift, alms.’ Modern High German spenden, verb, ‘bestow as a gift, spend, distribute,’ from Middle High German spënden, Old High German spëntôn, ‘to distribute gratuitously,’ which was borrowed about the 7th century from Middle Latin and Italian spéndere (equivalent to Latin expendere), ‘to spend’ (to which Modern High German Speise belongs); allied to English to spend.
Spengler, masculine, ‘tinker,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spęngeler; a derivative of Middle High German spęngel and spange, ‘metal ornament, clasp.’
Sperber, masculine, ‘sparrow-hawk,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spęrwœre, sparwœre, Old High German sparwâri, masculine (compare Dutch sperwer). A derivative of the Teutonic sparwa-, ‘sparrow’ (see Sperling); hence sparwâri is literally ‘bird of prey that lives on sparrows’ (in Middle High German also sprinze, feminine, ‘female sparrow-hawk’). Old High German sparwā̆ri is a compound of aro, ‘eagle’; compare Old High German mûs-ari, chranuh-ari, and Anglo-Saxon gôs-heafoc, mûs-heafoc, spear-heafoc (‘sparrow-hawk,’ like Old High German sparw-ari). Old High German aro, ‘eagle,’ may appear as ari in the second part of a compound. From Teutonic are derived the Romance terms, Italian sparaviere, French épervier.
Sperberbaum, masculine, ‘service-tree,’ is a corruption of Middle High German spërboum, the origin of which is obscure.
Sperling, masculine, ‘sparrow,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spęrlinc (g), a diminutive of Middle High German spar, Old High German sparo, masculine, ‘sparrow’ (compare English starling, allied to Modern High German Staar), which represents the common Teutonic name of the bird. Compare Gothic sparwa, Old Icelandic spęrr, ​Anglo-Saxon spearwa, English sparrow (in Dutch mosch, musch; for the Low German term see Lüning). Of this stem sparw-, which is based on the root spor, ‘to sprawl’ (see Sporn), Spatz seems to be a pet form; note also Franconian Sperk, ‘sparrow’ (in Suabian and Bavarian the usual term is Spatz). Compare Sperber.
sperren, verb, ‘to bar, obstruct, fasten,’ from Middle High German and Old High German spęrren (preterite sparte, Old High German sparta), weak verb, literally ‘to provide with spars.’ Derivative of Sparren.
speutzen, verb, ‘to spit,’ from late Middle High German spiutzen, an intensive of speien, to which Modern High German spützen, equivalent to English to spit, and Anglo-Saxon spyttan, is also allied.
Spezerei, feminine, ‘spice, groceries,’ from late Middle High German specerîe, feminine, which is formed from Italian spezieria.
spicken, verb, ‘to lard; provide richly,’ a Modern High German derivative of Speck.
Spiegel, masculine, ‘mirror, looking-glass, reflector,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spiegel, Old High German spiagal, masculine (compare Dutch spiegel). The Old High German term is derived, with a change of gender, from Middle Latin spêgulum (equivalent to Latin spĕculum), to which Italian speglio (also specchio), ‘mirror,’ points. The word must have been borrowed, on account of the change of vowels, prior to the Old High German period. Old Teutonic has a peculiar word for ‘mirror’; compare Old High German scûchar, literally ‘shadow container,’ from Old High German scûwo, Anglo-Saxon sčûa, ‘shadow,’ in Gothic skuggwa, ‘mirror.’
Spiel, neuter, ‘play, game, sport,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German spil (genitive spiles), neuter, ‘jest, pastime, pleasure’; allied to spielen, ‘to play, sport, gamble,’ Middle High German spiln, Old High German spilôn, weak verb, ‘to amuse oneself’; compare Dutch spelen, Anglo-Saxon spilian, Old Icelandic spila, ‘to play.’ There are no undoubted cognates in the non-Teutonic languages.
Spieß (1.), masculine, ‘spear, lance, pike,’ from Middle High German spieȥ, Old High German spioȥ, masculine, ‘warrior's or hunter's spear’; corresponding to the equivalent. Goth *spiuta- (whence Old French espiet, ‘spear’), Old Icelandic spjót, neuter (in Anglo-Saxon spreót, see Spriet). Cognate terms in the non-Teutonic languages are wanting. — Modern High German Spießgeselle, ‘accomplice,’ literally ‘comrade in arms.’
Spieß (2.), masculine, ‘spit’ (cooking), from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German spiȥ (genitive spiȥȥes), masculine; corresponding to Dutch spit, Anglo-Saxon spitu, English spit. These cognates, whence the equivalent Romance term, Italian spito, are connected with the adjective spitz, of which Anglo-Saxon spitu is a substantive form. Spieß (French épois) is also used in the sense of ‘dags or croches of a stag,’ a meaning not found in the earlier periods; yet Modern High German Spießer (Old High German spiȥȥo, spizzo, ‘hinnulus’), ‘young stag,’ and the borrowed French term épois, ‘trochings of a stag,’ implies the existence of such a meaning. See spitz.
Spille, feminine, see Spindel.
Spilling, masculine, ‘large yellow plum,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spillinc, spinlinc (g), masculine. Probably connected, like Old High German spënala, Middle High German spënel, ‘pin,’ with a primitively Teutonic spī̆na-, ‘thorn,’ which is cognate with Latin spîna, ‘thorn’ (compare Italian spillo, ‘pin’).
Spindel, feminine, ‘spindle, distaff, pivot, peg,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spinnel, Old High German spinnala, feminine; the Modern High German variant Spille, Middle High German spille, is based upon Middle High German spinle. —
Modern High German Spinne, feminine, ‘spider,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spinne, Old High German spinna, feminine, literally ‘spinner.’ —
spinnen, verb, ‘to spin,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spinnen, Old High German spinnan, strong verb; common to Teutonic in the same sense. Compare Gothic spinnan, Old Icelandic spinna, Anglo-Saxon spinnan, English to spin, Dutch spinnen. While the cognates of Modern High German weben are common to Teutonic, those of spinnen have only Lithuanian pìnti, ‘to plait’ (pántis, ‘cord’), and Old Slovenian pęti, ‘to stretch,’ connected with them; compare the pre-Teutonic roots pen and spen, which occur also in Fahne. It is also frequently assumed that spinnen and spannen are allied. —
Modern High German Spinnewebe, feminine, ‘cobweb,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spinnewëp, -weppe, Old High German spinnûn węppí, masculine.
Spion, masculine, ‘spy,’ from French espion; see spähen.
Spital, Spittel, neuter, ‘hospital,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spitâl and spítel, neuter; which is derived from Latin hospitâle.
spitz, adjective, ‘pointed, acute, sharp,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spitz, spitze, Old High German spizzi; Gothic *spitj- (nominative *spitus) is wanting; compare Spieß (2). No corresponding term is found in the non-Teutonic languages. —
Spitz, masculine, ‘Pomeranian dog,’ Modern High German only; an adjective used as a substantive.
spleißen, verb, ‘to split, cleave,’ from the equivalent Middle High German splîȥen; corresponding to English to split and the equivalent Dutch splijten; an Old Teutonic root verb which does not occur elsewhere. To this is allied Modern High German Splitter, masculine, ‘splinter,’ from Middle High German splitter, masculine and feminine (Gothic *splitra-; an old tr in High German is not permutated; compare bitter, treu, and zittern), but in Middle High German a term spelter, ‘splinter,’ connected with spalten, is mostly ​used. Compare Dutch splinter, and the equivalent English splint, splinter, derived from the nasalised root.
Spor, masculine, ‘mould,’ allied to Middle High German spœr, ‘dry, rough,’ Old High German spôri, ‘mellow, rotten’; cognate terms are wanting.
Sporn, masculine, Sporen, plural, ‘spur,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spor, spore, Old High German sporo, masculine; corresponding to Dutch spoor, Anglo-Saxon spora, spura, English spur, and the equivalent Old Icelandic spore. From the Teutonic cognates are derived the Romance terms, Italian sprone and French eperon, ‘spur.’ Teutonic sporo, masculine, ‘spur,’ is based on a strong verbal root sper, ‘to kick,’ which is preserved in Modern High German Spur, spüren, and English to spurn, Compare Old High German, Old Saxon, and Anglo-Saxon spurnan, ‘to tread,’ with which Sanscrit sphur, ‘to kick away,’ Greek σπαίρω, ‘to struggle’ (Latin sperno, ‘I despise,’ has a figurative sense), and Lithuanian spìrti, ‘to tread,’ are primitively allied. Compare also Sperling (literally ‘sprawler’?). Since the original sense of the Aryan root sper is ‘to kick,’ Speer cannot be connected with it.
Sporteln, plural, ‘fees, perquisites,’ Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent Italian sportula.
Spott, masculine, ‘mockery, banter, scorn, laughing-stock,’ from Middle High German and Old High German spot (genitive spottes), masculine, ‘mockery, scorn, disgrace’; its early occurrence in Old High German shows that it is a genuine High German word. It is remarkable that the Low German dialects have a medial tt in the corresponding words; compare Dutch spot, Old Icelandic spott, neuter, ‘mockery.’ Modern High German and Middle High German spotten, ‘to mock, scoff at,’ Old High German spottôn, equivalent to Dutch spotten and OIc spotta. The cognates seem to imply a Gothic *spuþþôn (for Gothic þþ, equivalent to High German tt, see Schmiede), whose origin cannot be discovered. Latin spûtum is scarcely allied.
Sprache, feminine, ‘speech, language, utterance,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sprâche, Old High German sprâhha. An abstract of sprechen (compare Anglo-Saxon sprœ̂č), ‘to speak, say, utter,’ which comes from the equivalent Middle High German sprëchen, Old High German sprëhhan, a strong verb peculiar to the West Teutonic languages; compare Old Saxon sprëkan, Dutch spreken, Anglo-Saxon sprëcan. The corresponding English to speak (and speech), from Anglo-Saxon spëcan (and spœ̂č), points to a Teutonic root spek, which appears also in Middle High German spëhten, ‘to chatter.’ The Teutonic root sprek has no cognates in the non-Teutonic languages; it is perhaps related to Sanscrit sphûrj, ‘to rustle.’ For an obsolete term, also meaning ‘to speak,’ see under Beichte; the current term in the Upper German dialects is reden.
Sprehe, feminine, ‘starling,’ Modern High German only, properly a Low German word; compare Old Saxon sprâ, Dutch spreeuw, North Frisian sprïan, ‘starling.’ Origin obscure. From an Old Teutonic dialectic the equivalent Old French esprohon was borrowed.
spreiten, verb, ‘to spread, strew,’ from Middle High German and Old High German spreiten, weak verb, ‘to unfold’; a primary form also occurs, Middle High German sprîten, sprîden, ‘to spread.’ Compare Dutch spreiden, spreijen, Anglo-Saxon sprœ̂dan, English to spread. The Teutonic root sprī̆þ has not yet been found in the non-Teutonic languages; no connection with breit is possible.
spreizen, verb, ‘to spread open, stride,’ earlier Modern High German spreutzen, literally ‘to stretch upwards like a prop or buttress,’ from Middle High German and Old High German spriutzen ‘to properly support.’ Allied to Middle High German spriuȥ, ‘buttress,’ which is derived from the stem of sprietzen.
Sprengel, masculine, ‘sprinkling brush; diocese, jurisdiction,’ from Middle High German spręngel, masculine, ‘brush for sprinkling holy water, sprinkle,’ with a remarkable change of meaning. —
sprengen, verb, ‘to burst, break open, blow up,’ from Middle High German and Old High German spręngen, ‘to cause to spring,’ is a causative of springen.
Sprenkel (1.), masculine, ‘springe, noose, snare,’ Modern High German only, from Low German; compare Dutch sprenkel, ‘loop in a cable.’ The latter, like Old High German sprinka, Middle High German sprinke, feminine, ‘bird-trap,’ is based on a primary form springjô, from which English springe is also derived. This primary form is probably cognate with Lithuanian sprìngti, ‘to choke,’ sprangùs, ‘choking,’ Lettic sprangāt, ‘to cord, confine.’
Sprenkel (2.), masculine, ‘speck, spot,’ from Middle High German (Middle German) spręnkel, sprinkel, masculine, ‘spot,’ for which in Middle High German a form sprëckel without a nasal is used (also *sprünkel in sprünkelëht, ‘spotted’), allied to Icelandic sprekla, Swedish spräkla, ‘little spot,’ Swiss šprigel, šprägel. These cognates may be connected with English to freak, freckle, and further with Greek περκνός, Sanscrit pṛçni, ‘spotted, variegated,’ if sprek (spreg) and prek (preg) be regarded as the Aryan roots (with regard to the interchange of sp and p, compare that of st and t under drosseln and Stier). In that case there would probably be no historic connection between sprenkeln and springen.
Spreu, feminine, ‘chaff,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German spriu (genitive spriuwes), neuter ​A specifically High German word, which, like Middle High German sprœwen, Middle Dutch spraeien (Gothic *sprêwjan), ‘to emit sparks, fly as dust, scatter,’ is based on a Teutonic and an Aryan root sprē̆w, ‘to emit sparks,’ of which, however, no further traces can be found (see further sprühen). The corresponding Low German word is represented by the cognates, English chaff and Dutch kaf.
Sprichwort, neuter, ‘proverb,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sprichwort, neuter (the form Sprüchwort first occurs in early Modern High German only), literally ‘uttered word.’
Spriegel, with the variant Sprügel, masculine, ‘support of an awning, tilt,’ a Modern High German word of the Middle German group; not recorded, probably only by chance, in the earlier periods. No cognate terms have as yet been found.
sprießen, verb, ‘to sprout, shoot forth,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sprieȥen (Old High German *sprioȥan?), strong verb; corresponding to Dutch spruiten, Anglo-Saxon sprûtan, and English to sprout. From this Teutonic root sprū̆t, ‘to grow up,’ are derived English to sprit, ‘to sprout’ (Anglo-Saxon spryttan), as well as Anglo-Saxon spreót, ‘pole, shaft,’ equivalent to Dutch spriet, ‘javelin, spear, bowsprit,’ whence Modern High German Spriet in Bugspriet. Compare further spritzen and Sprosse. No terms undoubtedly cognate are found in the non-Teutonic languages.
springen, verb, ‘to spring, leap, jump,’ from the equivalent Middle High German springen, Old High German springan, strong verb; corresponding to the equivalent Old Saxon springan, Dutch springen, Anglo-Saxon springan, English to spring, Gothic *spriggan. From this common Teutonic verb, to which Modern High German Sprung, masculine, (Middle High German and Old High German sprung), is allied, the cognates of Italian springare, ‘to jog, swing one's legs,’ are derived. An allied Aryan root sprgh, with a nasal exists in Greek σπέρχεσθαι ‘to hasten,’ σπερχνός, ‘hasty.’
spritzen, verb, earlier sprützen, ‘to spirt, squirt, syringe, spout forth,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sprützen, whence Italian spruzzare and sprizzare were borrowed; allied to Middle High German sprütze, Modern High German Spritze, feminine, ‘syringe, squirt’; derivatives of the Teutonic root sprū̆t, ‘to grow up, shoot forth’ (see sprießen). Compare English to sprit, ‘to spirt’ and ‘to sprout.’
spröde, adjective, ‘brittle; shy, coy,’ Modern High German only; corresponding to ModFlem. sprooi, early Modern Dutch spru, Middle English sprêþe, ‘infirm, brittle.’ The adjective, an old formation (like blöde and müde) from the Teutonic root sprē̆w, ‘to be scattered as dust’ (see Spreu), is not recorded, probably only by chance, in the earlier periods of the language.
Sprosse, feminine, ‘shoot, sprout; rung,’ from Middle High German sproȥȥe, Old High German sproȥȥo, masculine, ‘rung.’ This meaning is probably derived from an older signification (‘twig’); compare Old Icelandic sprote, ‘twig, rod, staff,’ Anglo-Saxon sprota, ‘twig.’ These terms are connected with the Teutonic root sprū̆t in sprietzen, of which Sproß, ‘sprout,’ is a Modern High German derivative; from the latter Sprößling is derived.
Sprotte, feminine, ‘sprat,’ properly a Low German word, which corresponds to the equivalent Dutch sprot, English sprat, and Anglo-Saxon sprott. Its earlier history has not been ascertained.
Spruch, masculine, ‘saying, adage, sentence, judgment,’ from Middle High German spruch, masculine, ‘that which is uttered, word, speech’; a Middle High German derivative of the verb sprechen.
sprühen, verb, ‘to emit sparks, sparkle,’ firs recorded in Modern High German, but Middle High German *sprüejen, Old High German *spruowen, are to be assumed. Its connection with Middle High German sprœwen, ‘to fly as dust,’ and Modern High German Spreu, leads to the root sprī̆w (sprō̆w), ‘to be scattered as dust'; see further spröde.
spucken, verb, ‘to haunt’ (of a ghost), Modern High German only; its early history cannot be discovered; how it is connected with the root spī̆w (see speien) is uncertain.
Spuk, masculine, ‘spectre, ghost,’ Modern High German only, properly a Low German word; it is unknown to Upper German (the strictly High German form Spuch occurs in early Modern High German); compare Low German and Dutch spook, from Teutonic spauka-. Allied to Swedish spok, ‘scarecrow,’ Danish spøg, ‘joke, fun,’ Norweg. spjok, ‘ghost’ (English spook is of Scandinavian origin). It is uncertain whether the word is related to Lithuanian spůgulas, ‘splendour.’
Spule, feminine, ‘spool, bobbin,’ from Middle High German spuole, masculine, ‘spool, tube, quill,’ Old High German spuola, feminine, spuolo, masculine, ‘spool’; corresponding to Dutch spoel, English spool. From the Teutonic cognates are derived the Romance terms, Italian spuola, ‘shuttle,’ Old French épolet, ‘spindle.’ Connected with the root spa, ‘to draw,’ adduced under spannen and spinnen?.
spülen, verb, ‘to rinse, wash,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spüelen, Old High German spuolen, weak verb; corresponding to the equivalent Dutch spoelen, Anglo-Saxon spêlan. Its connection with the preceding word is not clear. — The corresponding collective Spülicht, neuter, ‘dish-wash, swill,’ is based on Middle High German spüelach (Old High German *spuolahi).
Spund, masculine, ‘bung, bunghole, channel,’ from Middle High German spunt (genitive spuntes), masculine, ​‘bunghole, valve in the tube of a pump.’ The persistent t of the Middle High German inflected form points of itself to the foreign origin of the term, and still more so the Middle High German variants punct and pfunt, as well as Modern High German (dialectic) Punt and Bunde (as to the period when the word was borrowed, compare Wein). Dutch spon, spun, ‘bung,’ and French bonde, ‘sluice, plug,’ bondon, ‘bung,’ are corresponding terms, derived from the Middle High German words, which are based on Latin puncta, ‘prick, puncture, opening made inn pipe.’ With regard to the s of Middle High German spunt, compare Italian spuntone, ‘spontoon,’ spuntare, ‘to blunt, allied to Latin punctum.
Spur, feminine, ‘track, trace, footsteps, vestige,’ from Middle High German spur (spür), neuter and feminine, ‘footstep,’ beside which the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German spor occurs; connected with the Teutonic and Aryan root sper (see Sporn), ‘to tread.’ To this is allied the Modern High German denominative spüren, ‘to trace, investigate, discover,’ from Middle High German spürn, Old High German spuren, spurren, and spurien, weak verb, literally ‘to follow in search of the track of game,’ then ‘to go in quest of, trace, examine.’ This figurative sense recurs in all the Teutonic languages (compare Dutch speuren, Anglo-Saxon spyrian, Old Icelandic spyrja), and is probably a relic of the terms used by Old Teutonic hunters.
sputen, verb, ‘to speed, make haste,’ from the equivalent Middle High German *spuoten (not recorded), Old High German spuotôn; allied to Middle High German and Old High German spuot, feminine, ‘success, dispatch,’ which is the abstract of Middle High German and Old High German spuon (spuoan), ‘to succeed, be successful’ (sputen is wanting in Suabian and Bavarian). To the same cognates English speed, from Anglo-Saxon spéd, ‘success’ (Anglo-Saxon spôwan, ‘to make progress’), Dutch spoed, ‘haste,’ spoeden, ‘to hasten.’ With the root spô (spê) contained in these words, Sanscrit sphâ, ‘to swell, grow, thrive,’ and Old Slovenian spěją (spěti), ‘to be successful,’ are connected; so too perhaps Latin spatium.
spüfzen, verb, equivalent to speutzen.
Staat, masculine, ‘state, country, pomp, show,’ Modern High German only, borrowed, like Dutch staat, and English state, from Latin status, whence also French état and Italian stato. The meaning ‘display’ also belongs to French état. Stadt is a totally different word.
Stab, masculine, ‘staff, stick, staff-officers,’ from Middle High German and Old High German stap (genitive stabes), masculine, ‘stick, properly staff’; a common Teutonic word, represented also by Gothic stafs (b), Anglo-Saxon stœf, English staff, Dutch staf (compare also Buchstabe under Buch). Its relation to the similarly sounding Old High German verb stabên, ‘to be stiff’) leads to an Aryan root stap, ‘to be firm,’ which is implied by Sanscrit sthâpay, ‘to cause to stand, erect,’ or to Aryan stabh in Lithuanian stábas, stóbras, ‘statue,’ ‘staff, buttress.’
Stachel, masculine, ‘sting, prickle, goad,’ from the equivalent Middle High German (very rarely) stachel, Old High German stahhulla (stacchulla), feminine; a rather late derivative of stechen.
Stadel, masculine, ‘barn,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stadel, Old High German stadal, masculine; an old derivative of the Aryan root stā̆, ‘to stand,’ properly signifying ‘standing-place’; compare Latin stabulum, ‘stable,’ allied to stare, ‘to stand,’ Sanscrit sthâtra, ‘standing-place,’ allied to sthâ, ‘to stand.’ Compare Scheune also.
Staden, masculine, ‘bank, shore,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stade, Old High German stado, masculine; corresponding to Gothic staþ, Anglo-Saxon stœþ, Old Saxon stath, ‘bank.’ The common Teutonic stem staþo- (with which Gestade, Modern High German only, is connected) is formed from the Aryan root stā̆ (see stehen and Stätte), and signifies ‘bank’ in the sense of ‘terra firma,’ Staden is the genuine High German word for the properly Middle German and Low German Ufer.
Stadt, feminine, ‘city, town,’ from Middle High German stat, feminine, ‘place, situation, spot, locality, town,’ Old Low German stat, feminine, ‘place, spot.’ Prop. identical with Statt and Stätte (the meaning ‘town’ was first developed in the Middle High German period; the earlier term was Burg, Old High German and Middle High German burc, feminine). See Statt.
Staffel, feminine, ‘rung; step, degree,’ from Middle High German staffel (stâffel, usually stapfel), masculine and feminine, ‘grade, degree,’ Old High German stā̆ffal (stapsal), masculine, staffala, feminine, ‘foundation, basis, step.’ A derivative of the Teutonic root stap, ‘to go’ (in Stapfe and Stufe); allied to the Low German cognates of Stapel.
Staffette, feminine, ‘courier, special messenger,’ Modern High German only; see Stapfe.
Stahl, masculine, ‘steel,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stahel, masculine and neuter (contracted stâl, with the variant stachel), Old High German stahal (stâl, *stahhal); corresponding to Dutch staal, Anglo-Saxon stŷle, steli, neuter, English steel, and the equivalent Old Icelandic stâl (Gothic *stakla-), neuter. A pre-Teutonic form staklo- is implied by the cognate Old Prussian stakla, ‘steel.’ Other corresponding terms are wanting in the Aryan languages (so too in the case of Geld and Silber the Teutonic terms are related only to the Slavonic).
Staken, masculine, ‘stake, pale, boat-hook,’ ​Modern High German only, properly a Low German word; compare Dutch staak, Anglo-Saxon staca, English stake, and the equivalent Old Swedish staki. From these cognates, which, like Stachel, are connected with stechen, the equivalent Romance class of Italian stacca is derived.
Stall, masculine, ‘stall, stable, sty,’ from Middle High German stal (ll), masculine and neuter, ‘standing or dwelling place, spot, stable,’ Old High German stal (ll), masculine, ‘stable, spot’; properly identical with Stelle. The two senses of the Old High German word are ramifications of a primary meaning, ‘standing-place.’ Corresponding to Dutch stal, ‘stable, stall,’ Anglo-Saxon steall, ‘stable, standing-place,’ English stall. The cognates (whence also stellen) are connected with the Aryan root stal, appearing in Stuhl. From Teutonic stallo- are derived the Romance cognates, Italian stallo, ‘spot,’ French étal, ‘butcher's bench,’ étau, ‘butcher's stall,’ Italian stalla, ‘stable,’ Italian stallone, French étalon, and the equivalent English stallion.
Stamm, masculine, ‘stem, trunk, stock, tribe,’ from Middle High German and Old High German stam (mm), masculine, ‘trunk, pedigree, race, reason, cause’; corresponding to Dutch stam, Anglo-Saxon stemn (stœfn), English stem (see Steven), Old Icelandic stafn. The implied Teutonic stamno- (hardly for stabno-, allied to Stab), a derivative of the Aryan root stā̆, ‘to stand,’ is equivalent to Irish tamon (for *stamon-), ‘pedigree,’ and Greek στάμνος, ‘wine jar,’ the meaning of which recalls Modern High German Ständer.
stammeln, verb, ‘to stammer, stutter,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stammeln, stamelen, Old High German stammalôn, stamalôn. A derivative of Old High German stammal, stamal, ‘stammering,’ on whose earlier variant stammêr, stam-êr (nominative singular masculine), is based Old High German stammên, stamên, ‘to stammer.’ Compare the Gothic adjective stamms, Old Icelandic stamr, ‘stammering,’ and also stumm. The properly Low German stammern agrees with Dutch stameren, English to stammer (compare Anglo-Saxon stamor, ‘stammering’). For the root stam, ‘to check’ (stammeln, ‘to falter frequently’), see ungestüm and stemmen.
stammen, verb, ‘to originate (from), descend, proceed,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stammen; allied to Stamm.
stampfen, verb, ‘to stamp, pound,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stampfen, Old High German stampfôn; a derivative of Modern High German Stampf, Middle High German and Old High German stampf, ‘punch’; compare Dutch stampen, English to stamp, Old Icelandic stappa (for *stampa), ‘to stamp, push.’ From these cognates Italian stampare, French étamper, ‘to impress,’ Italian stampa, ‘stamp, impression,’ and French estampe, are borrowed. Akin to Stempel and stumpf. The Teutonic root stamp (stump), ‘to push,’ contained in these words, seems to be connected with Greek στέμβω, ‘I tread’ (and Sanscrit stamba, ‘post’?). Compare Stapfe and Stempel.
Stand, masculine, ‘state, position, rank, stand,’ from Middle High German stant (d), masculine, ‘state, condition’; from the root stand (see stehen).
Standarte, feminine, ‘standard, banner,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stanthart (standert), masculine. Borrowed in the 13th century from Old French estendard (French étendard), ‘flag,’ or preferably from the equivalent Italian stendardo, which. is based on Latin extendere. From the same source English standard is derived.
Ständer, masculine, ‘high desk, pole, water-cask,’ Modern High German only; a Low German word; corresponding to Dutch stander, ‘pillar’; allied to Stand.
ständig, adjective, ‘standing, stationary, constant,’ Modern High German only (Middle High German and Old High German stęndic in compounds like inständig); allied to Stand, ‘continuance.’ Compare bestęndec, ‘continuous,’ an adjective occurring even in Middle High German.
Stange, feminine, ‘pole, stake, curb-bit,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stange, Old High German stanga, feminine; corresponding to Dutch and English stang, Old Icelandic stǫng, feminine, ‘pole.’ From the Teutonic cognates is derived the Romance class of Italian stanga, ‘pole.’ Teutonic stangô is usually connected with the Teutonic root sting (see stechen), preserved in English to sting. For a similar development of meaning see Staken. Derivative Stengel.
Stapel, masculine, ‘support, stocks (for ships),’ Modern High German only, a Low German word, corresponding to High German Staffel. Compare Dutch stapel, ‘heap, staple-town,’ English staple (hence French étape, ‘depot, emporium’). “The development of meaning in the cognates ranges through the meanings ‘support (Anglo-Saxon stapol), foundation (Old High German staffol), frame, heap, piled up goods.’” See the following word.
Stapfe, masculine, ‘footprint, footstep,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stapfe, Old High German stapfo (staffo), masculine; allied to Middle High German and Old High German stępfen, also Middle High German stapfen, Old High German stapfôn, ‘to tread,’ which corresponds to the Anglo-Saxon strong verb stœppan. Compare Dutch stap, ‘step,’ stappen, ‘to step,’ and the English word step. The Teutonic verbal root stap, ‘to tread, step, go,’ to which Staffel and Stufe are allied, appears in a nasalised form in the cognate stampfen. From Teutonic is borrowed Italian staffa, ‘stirrup,’ whence staffetta, ‘courier,’ ​is derived. Since the Aryan root stab may have had a variant slap, it is possible that Old Slavonic stopa, ‘track,’ is primitively allied to Stapfe.
Star, masculine, ‘starling,’ from the equivalent Middle High German star, masculine, Old High German stara, feminine; corresponding to Anglo-Saxon stœr, stearn, English stare, Old Icelandic stare, starre, ‘starling’; primitively allied to Latin sturnus. English starling indicates the derivation of Modern High German Sperling (Old High German sparo). —
Star, masculine, ‘cataract’ (of the eye), has been deduced in Modern High German from Middle High German starblint (d) Old High German starablint (compare Dutch staarblind), adjective, ‘blind from a cataract,’ which has no connection with the name of the bird, since it more probably belongs to the same root as Modern High German starren (Old High German starên), ‘to look fixedly, stare.’ In Anglo-Saxon, besides stœrblind, a curious form, pûrblind occurs, the first component of which is Anglo-Saxon pûr, ‘bittern’; compare Greek γλαύκωμα, from γλαύξ, ‘owl.’ Hence the instinctive connection between the name of the bird and the disease is quite comprehensible.
stark, adjective, ‘strong,’ from Middle High German starc (and starch), Old High German starc (and starah), adjective, ‘strong, vigorous, big’; corresponding to Old Saxon stark, Dutch sterk, Anglo-Saxon stearc, English stark, Old Icelandic sterkr. To the same Teutonic root stark belong by a different gradation Gothic gastaúrknan, ‘to become parched, wither away,’ Old Icelandic storkna, ‘to curdle,’ Old High German storchanên, ‘to become fixed, hard’; hence perhaps ‘fixed’ is the primitive meaning of the root. Lithuanian strėgti, ‘to stiffen, become numb,’ and Modern Persian suturg (base *stṛga), ‘strong,’ are primitively allied. Derivative Modern High German Stärke, feminine, ‘starch’ (note the English word).
Stärke, feminine, ‘heifer,’ Modern High German only, properly a Low German word. Scarcely allied to Modern High German Stier; connected rather, like Middle High German stër, Old High German stëro, ‘ram,’ with Gothic staira, which is primitively allied to Greek στεῖρος, στέριφος, ‘sterile,’ Latin sterilis, Sanscrit starî, ‘sterile.’ Connected with the following word.
starr, adjective, ‘fixed, staring,’ Modern High German only; probably a Low German word. Compare the rare Middle High German starren, ‘to become fixed,’ allied to the Teutonic root ster, star, with which the cognates of Star and Stärke are connected. With these compare Sanscrit sthira, ‘firm, strong,’ Greek στερεός, ‘hard.’ —
Modern High German starren, verb, ‘to look fixedly, stare,’ from the equivalent Middle High German starn, Old High German starên, which is more closely connected with Star than with starr.
Statt, feminine, ‘place, stead,’ from Middle High German and Old High German stat, feminine, ‘place, spot’; from the plural (Old High German stęti, Middle High German stęte) is derived Modern High German Stätte, feminine, ‘place, site.’ Corresponding to Dutch stede, steê, ‘spot, place, small town.’ The Modern High German preposition statt (compare kraft) is properly an oblique case of the substantive; in Middle High German (very rarely) an... stęte, ‘in place of,’ &c. Modern High German zu statten (as in the phrase zu statten kommen, ‘to serve one's turn, be useful’) is not connected with this word Statt, but is based on Middle High German stat, Old High German stata, feminine, ‘convenient spot or period, occasion, help’; hence even in Middle High German ze staten, Old High German zi statu, ‘at a suitable time, for assistance.’ With this is associated Modern High German gestatten, Middle High German gestaten, Old High German gistatôn, ‘to permit,’ literally ‘to furnish a good opportunity.’ Old High German stata is, like stat (genitive stęti), a verbal abstract of stehen. — Modern High German stattfinden, ‘to take place,’ from Middle High German state finden, ‘to find a good opportunity.’ —
stattlich, adjective, ‘stately, magnificent, considerable,’ a Modern High German derivative of Middle High German stat, ‘good opportunity.’
Staub, neuter, ‘dust, spray,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German stoup (genitive stoubes), masculine; also, by a different formation, Modern High German Gestüpp, Middle High German stüppe, Old High German stuppi, ‘dust,’ which, like Gothic stubjus, is connected with stieben, ‘to fly as dust, scatter.’
Stauche, feminine, ‘veil, sleeve, muff, mitten,’ from Middle High German stûche, Old High German stûhha, feminine, ‘the broad pendant sleeve on a woman's dress, kerchief, veil, cloth, apron’; corresponding to Anglo-Saxon stocu, ‘long sleeve, Old Icelandic stúka. The Romance cognate, French étui (Italian astuccio), ‘case,’ has been derived rom a Teutonic *stûkjo. Teutonic stū̆kô (stū̆kjo) is usually connected with a pre-Teutonic root stū̆g; Old Low German stûkan, Dutch stuiken, ‘to pile up, push,’ and Lithuanian stùgti, ‘to look aloft.’
Staude, feminine, ‘shrub, bush,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stûde, Old High German stûda, feminine, a specifically High German word, wanting in the other Teutonic dialects. Its genuine Teutonic origin is, however, undoubted. It seems, like stehen, to belong to a primitively cognate Aryan root stū̆, which appears in Greek στῦλος, ‘pillar,’ and στῦω, ‘to look fixedly,’ and so in stützen.
stauen, verb, ‘to dam in, stow away, pack,’ from Middle High German and Old High German stouwen, ‘to put a stop to, arrest, restrain’ (properly identical with Middle High German and Old High German stouwen, ‘to abuse, rate, accuse’?). Allied to Modern High German staunen, ‘to be amazed’ (originally a Swiss ​word, adopted as a literary term in the last century), which is wanting in Middle High German and Old High German. For the early history of stauen and staunen the older periods give no further clue, yet compare root stū̆, ‘to look fixedly,’ under Staude.
Staupe, feminine, ‘rod, scourge,’ from Middle High German (Middle German) stûpe, ‘post to which a criminal is bound and beaten with rods’; hence stäupen, ‘to flog, scourge,’ which occurs in Modern High German only. Corresponding to Old Frisian stûpa, ‘public chastisement with the rod.’ Early history obscure.
stechen, verb, ‘to prick, stab, engrave,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stëchen, Old High German stëhhan, strong verb. From this strong verbal root stek, which is preserved in Middle European Teutonic (Old Saxon stëkan, Dutch steken, Old Frisian steka); compare sticken, Stecken, and Stichel. By passing from the i class into the e class this root (compare bitten) originated in an older form stik, pre-Teutonic stig, which has a variant tig, ‘to be sharp,’ in the non-Teutonic languages. Compare Sanscrit tij, ‘to be sharp, sharpen’ (tigmá, ‘pointed, sharp’), Greek στίγμα, ‘prick, point,’ from στέζω, ‘to mark with a pointed instrument, prick,’ Latin instîgare, ‘to goad on, incite.’ Whether these are connected further with a prehistoric root stik, stink (see Stange), is uncertain. —
Stecken, masculine, ‘stick, staff,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stëcke (stëche), Old High German stëccho (stëhho) masculine. Corresponding to Anglo-Saxon sticca, English stick; literally perhaps ‘pricker,’ like Stange, allied to English sting. —
Modern High German stecken, weak verb, ‘to stick, fix, put, place, conceal,’ from Middle High German and Old High German stecken, ‘to fasten by sticking, fix firmly,’ literally ‘to make something stick’; a recent factitive of stechen (properly *stakjan for *staikjan, from the root stik). From the intransit. meaning of Middle High German stecken, ‘to remain fast,’ is derived the equivalent Modern High German stecken, strong verb, ‘to stick, remain fast, be fixed.’ The Romance cognates, Italian stecco, ‘thorn,’ stecca, ‘staff,’ French etiquette, ‘ticket’ (on goods, &c.), are based on derivatives of the Teutonic root stik, stëk.
Steg, masculine, ‘path, narrow wooden bridge,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German stëc (genitive stëges), masculine; allied to steigen; also dialectically Stege, feminine, equivalent to Stiege, ‘stair.’ —
Modern High German Stegreif, masculine, ‘stirrup,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stëgreif, Old High German stëgareif. An Old Teutonic term, as is shown by the correspondence between High German and Anglo-Saxon stigerâp, English stirrup, Old Icelandic stigreip; literally ‘rope, ring for mounting a horse’ (the term Steigbügel, ‘stirrup,’ equivalent to Dutch stijgbeugel, is unknown to Middle High German and Old High German. See, however, Bügel).
stehen, verb, ‘to stand, remain,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German stên, strong verb; besides the root stai, which may be deduced from this verb, Middle High German and Old High German stân indicates another root. The form of this root stai (stâ) was extended to stand (staþ), from which most of the dialects form the present stem; compare Gothic standan, Anglo-Saxon standan, English to stand (English to stay is derived from Romance; compare Old French estaier), Old High German stantan, Middle High German (rarely) standen. The present stem was, in the Teutonic group, formed from the root stand while the substantival derivatives were chiefly based on the Aryan root stā̆ (compare Stadt, Statt, stetig). This recurs (as in the case of kommen, gehen, sitzen) in all the Aryan languages in the same sense. Compare Sanscrit sthâ, Greek ἱ τάναι, Latin stâre, Old Slovenian stati, ‘to stand.’
stehlen, verb, ‘to steal,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stëln, Old High German stëlan; a common Teutonic strong verb. Compare Gothic stilan, Old Icelandic stela, Anglo-Saxon stëlan, English to steal (to which stealth is allied), Dutch stelen, Old Saxon stëlan, ‘to steal.’ The root is confined to Teutonic, and corresponds only partly to Greek στερίσκω, ‘to rob’; perhaps the Teutonic l instead of the Greek r is due to hehlen (on account of the frequent combination of hehlen and stehlen). À verb corresponding to the Greek κλέπτω, ‘to steal,’ is preserved in Gothic (compare Gothic hlifan, ‘to steal’).
steif, adjective, ‘stiff, rigid, pedantic, formal,’ from Middle High German stîf, ‘stiff, fixed, upright, brave, stately’; probably a Middle German and Low German word. Compare Dutch stijf, Anglo-Saxon stîf (English stiff), Old Icelandic stîfr, ‘fixed, stiff.’ The Teutonic root stîf, in these cognates, occurs in the non-Teutonic languages as stîp; Latin stîpes. ‘stake, stick,’ Lithuanian stiprùs, ‘strong, firm,’ stìpti, ‘to become stiff.’ Compare also Stift.
Steig, masculine, ‘path, footway,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German stîc (genitive stîges), masculine; allied to steigen, ‘to mount,’ which is based on the equivalent Middle High German stîgen, Old High German stîgan, strong verb. The verb is common to Teutonic in the same sense; compare Old Saxon stîgan, Dutch stijgen, Anglo-Saxon stîgan (English to sty), Gothic steigan. The Teutonic root stī̆g (compare also Steg, steil) corresponds to the widely-diffused Aryan root stī̆gh, ‘to step, stride,’ which appears in Sanscrit (rare) stigh, ‘to step, stride,’ Greek στείχω, ‘to go,’ Latin vestigium, ‘track, trace,’ Old Slovenian stignąti, ‘to hasten’; hence the ​meaning of the verbal root has been modified in Teutonic — The verb steigern, ‘to raise, increase, put up to auction,’ allied to Middle High German and Old High German steigen, ‘to cause something to ascend, to elevate or extol something,’ occurs in early Modern High German only; hence the verb means literally ‘to cause something to mount in price.’
steil, adjective, ‘steep,’ from the equivalent late the variants of which, steigel, Old High German steigal, prove the origin of steil (literally ‘mounting’) from the cognates discussed under Steig. Compare Dutch steil, Anglo-Saxon stœ̂gl, stœ̂ger, ‘steep’; to these are allied Old High German stëcchal, stëhhal, Middle High German stëckel (stëchel), ‘steep,’ Bavarian, Alsatian, Middle High German, and Low German štickel, ‘steep’ (in the Upper German dialects steil seems to be entirely unknown).
Stein, masculine, ‘stone,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German stein, masculine; corresponding to Gothic stains, Old Icelandic steinn, Anglo-Saxon stân, English stone (to which English dialectic steen, ‘stone vessel,’ from Anglo-Saxon stœ̂ne, ‘pitcher’ is allied; compare Old High German steinna, ‘pitcher’), Dutch steen, Old Saxon stên. The common Teutonic staino- is related pre-historically to Old Slovenian stěna, ‘wall’ (stĕnĭnŭ, ‘rocky, stony’), as well as to Greek στία, στῖον, ‘pebble.’ —
Steinmetze, see under Metze (1).
Steiß, masculine, ‘rump, buttocks’ (with Middle German ei instead of eu), from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German stī̆uz (hence also the early Modern High German variant Steuß), masculine, corresponding to Dutch stuit. It is probably based on a Teutonic stī̆wot-, which is primitively allied to Latin stîva, ‘plough handle.’
Stelle, feminine, ‘place, spot, situation, office,’ from Middle High German stal, masculine, ‘standing-place’ (compare Stall), or more probably a recent derivative of stellen, Middle High German and Old High German stęllen, ‘to put up, erect, fix, establish,’ a denominate of Teutonic stallo-, ‘standing place,’ discussed under Stall. From the Aryan root stel, ‘to stand’ (an extended form of Aryan stā̆, see stehen), compare Stuhl and Stiel, and especially Greek στέλλω, ‘to put, send,’ στόλος, ‘expedition,’ Sanscrit sthûna (for sthulṇa), ‘pillar,’ sthal, ‘to stand firm.’ To this word stillen and Stolle are also allied.
Stelze, feminine, ‘stilt, wooden leg,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stęlze, Old High German stęlza, feminine; corresponding to Dutch stelt, Danish stylte, Swedish stylta, and the equivalent English stilt. Probably a genuine Teutonic word, the early history of which is, however, obscure.
stemmen, verb, ‘to stem, check, oppose,’ from Middle High German and Old High German stęmmen (stęmen), ‘to check, restrain, cause to stand.’ For the root stam, see under stammeln, stumm, ungestüm.
Stempel, masculine, ‘stamp, die, pestle,’ Modern High German only, properly a Low German word, of which the High German form is stęmpfel; compare Dutch stempel, allied to stampfen.
Stengel, masculine, ‘stem, stalk,’ from tho equivalent Middle High German stęngel, Old High German stęngil; a diminutive of Stange.
steppen, verb ‘to quilt, stitch,’ from Middle High German stëppen, ‘to prick here and there, sew in rows, stitch’; an intensive form from the root of Stift.
sterben, verb, ‘to die,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stërben, Old High German stërban, strong verb, corresponding to Old Saxon stërƀan, Dutch sterven, Anglo-Saxon steorfan, ‘to die,’ English to starve. In East Teutonic this term is wanting (compare the root discussed under tot). Old Icelandic, however, preserves a corresponding starf, neuter, ‘work, trouble, effort,’ to which starfa, ‘to take pains,’ and stjarfe, ‘tetanus, locked jaw,’ are allied. The parallel development of Greek οἱ καμόντες, ‘the dead,’ from κάμνω, ‘to take pains,’ shows that we may assign, on the basis of the Scandinavian words, the primary meaning ‘to torment oneself’ to the West Teutonic stërban. Unfortunately the early history of the Teutonic root sterb is obscure. For the primitive Aryan root for ‘to die’ see under Mord.
Sterke, feminine, ‘cow’; see Stärke.
Sterling, masculine, from Middle High German sterlinc (g), masculine, ‘a coin,’ whence English sterling. The Middle High German word sterlinc (stœrlinc) indicates by its formation, which is similar to that of Pfenning and Schilling, that it is an old word; its early history is, however, obscure.
Stern, masculine, ‘star,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stërne, Old High German sterno, masculine (Old High German and Middle High German variant stërn); compare Gothic staírnô, feminine, Old Icelandic stjarna, feminine, ‘star.’ Old High German stër-no seems to be linked with Old High German sun-no, mâ-no, like Gothic staírnô, feminine, with Gothic sun-nô, feminine; the earlier Middle High German variant stërre, Old High German and Old Saxon stërro, lead to Dutch ster, star, Anglo-Saxon steorra, English star. The primary stem ster is common in the same sense to the Aryan group (compare Mond and Sonne); to it correspond Sanscrit star, Zend stare, Greek ἀστήρ, ἀστρον, Latin stella (for *sterula). Whether this root ster belongs to the Aryan root stṛ, ‘to scatter’ (Stern, literally ‘dispenser of light’?), or to the Sanscrit root as, ‘to throw’ (Stern, literally ‘thrower of rays’?), is altogether ​uncertain. To this is allied the Modern High German collective Gestirn, neuter, ‘stars, constellation,’ from Middle High German gestirne, Old High German gistirni. —
Stern, masculine, ‘stern,’ Modern High German only, comes from the equivalent English stern (Old Icelandic stjórn), a derivative of the root of Steuern.
Sterz, masculine, ‘tail, rump, plough handle,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German stërz, masculine; corresponding to Dutch staart, Anglo-Saxon steort, English start. A Teutonic root stert, ‘to project' or ‘to turn ‘(see Stürzen), has been assumed to explain the cognates; others connect it with Greek στόρθη, ‘prong, projecting point.’
stet, adjective, ‘fixed, stable, constant,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stæte, Old High German stâti, adjective (see the following word); a verbal adjective from the root sta in stehen (literally ‘that which can stand'). To this is allied stets, adverb, ‘steadily, constantly, always,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stætes, properly a genitive of the adjective.
stetig, adjective, ‘constant, continual,’ from Middle High German stætec (g), with the variant stæte (Old High German stâti), adjective, ‘firm, constant, stable'; properly a verbal adjective of stehen. Compare the preceding word.
Steuer (1.), feminine, ‘aid, tax, duty, impost,’ from Middle High German stiure, Old High German stiura, feminine, ‘duty, tax,’ properly ‘aid, contribution, support, help.’ With these general meanings the following word is connected.
Steuer (2.), neuter, ‘rudder, helm,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German (Middle German) stiure, neuter; properly a Low German word, originally belonging only to the Teutons on the sea-coast (in Old High German stiura, feminine, ‘rudder, stern'); compare stuur, ‘rudder,’ Anglo-Saxon steór, neuter (English stern, see under Stern), Old Icelandic stýre, neuter, ‘helm.’ To this is allied steuern, ‘to steer, pilot,’ which originated under the influence of the substantive Steuer, from Middle High German and Old High German stiuren, ‘to guide, lead, support'; compare Dutch stieren, sturen, Anglo-Saxon stŷran, English to steer, and the equivalent Old Icelandic stýra (Gothic stiurjan), ‘to fix firmly, maintain.’ These cognates, on account of their undoubted connection with Steuer, feminine, ‘duty' (literally ‘support’?), have been linked with Old Icelandic starr, ‘stake,’ and the equivalent Greek σταυρός.
Stich, masculine, ‘prick, thrust,’ from Middle High German stich, Old High German stih (hh), masculine, ‘prick, point’ (compare Gothic stiks, ‘period of time’), from this root stik (see stehen). To this Stichel, masculine, ‘graving tool, graver,’ from Middle High German stichel, Old High German stihhil, masculine, ‘sting,’ is allied. —
sticheln, verb, ‘to prick, stitch,’ is an intensive of stechen by association with Stich.
sticken, verb, ‘to stitch, embroider,’ from Middle High German sticken, Old High German sticchen (from Teutonic *stikjan), weak verb, ‘to pierce, thrust, stitch, embroider.’ Originally a variant of stikan, ‘to pierce,’ from the root stik (see stechen, Stich); compare English to stitch, from Anglo-Saxon *sticcan, Dutch stikken. — To this ersticken, ‘to choke, suffocate,’ from the equivalent Middle High German ersticken, Old High German irsticchen, is allied.
stieben, verb, ‘to fly as dust, scatter, disperse,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stieben, Old High German stiuban, strong verb. Allied to Dutch stuiven, and the cognates of Staub; see the latter and stöbern.
Stief- in compounds is preserved throughout the Teutonic group only as the first component; compare Middle High German stiefbruoder, -kind, -muoter, -sun, -swester, -tohter, -vater; Old High German stiuf-bruoder, -chint, &c. (Dutch stief-broeder, -kind, &c.). Corresponding to Anglo-Saxon steóp-sunu, -fœder, English step-father, &c.; Old Icelandic stjúpfaðer. That the word was used by itself at an earlier period is indicated by the derivatives Old High German stiufen, irstiufen, bistiufen, ‘to rob one of his relatives (parents or children),’ Anglo-Saxon âstŷpan, ‘to rob.’ All further clue to its early history is unfortunately wanting.
Stiefel, masculine, ‘boot,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stivel, stivâl (Old High German stivâl?), masculine; the Middle High German variant stivâl points clearly to a loan-word from the equivalent Italian stivále, masculine (for v equivalent to Middle High German v, f, compare Vers, Käfig), literally ‘a light summer covering made of leather for the feet’ (from Middle Latin œstivale, ‘pertaining to summer’). The word was borrowed in High German (it does not occur in the other Teutonic dialects), probably in the 12th century.
Stiege (1.), feminine, ‘stair, staircase,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stiege, Old High German stiega, feminine; the same as Steg; the broken Middle High German ie is similar to Middle High German wiege, ‘cradle,’ and schiec, ‘awry’ (see schief).
Stiege (2.), feminine (dialectic Steig), in the sense of ‘score,’ has been derived from the allied Middle High German stîge, feminine, ‘stall for small cattle’ (Swe. stia, ‘piasty’), it being assumed that a stall contained twenty sheep. Yet it is remarkable that the Crimean Gothic stega was used in the 16th century in the sense of ‘score’ (compare Shock; English score, literally ‘notch’; Dutch snees, ‘score,’ lît, ‘row, series’).
Stieglitz, masculine, ‘goldfinch,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stigliz, stigeliz (tz) masculine; a Slavonic loan-word; compare Czech stehlec (stehlic), ‘thistle-finch,’ and also Kiebiß.
​ Stiel, masculine, ‘handle, stalk, pedicle,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German stil, masculine. Phonetically the assumption that the word was borrowed from Latin stĭlus, ‘style’ (for writing), is possible. It is more probable, however, that the words are primitively allied, on account of Anglo-Saxon stela, steola, ‘handle’ (English diminutive stalk), and of Greek στέλεχος, ‘handle.’ The cognates of Stall, Stolle, and still may also be primitively allied.
Stier, masculine, ‘bull,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stier, Old High German stior; a common Teutonic term; compare Gothic stiur, Anglo-Saxon steór, English steer, Dutch stier. The remarkable variant Old Icelandic þjórr, Danish tyr, Swedish tjur, points to pre-Teutonic teuro- and steuro-; to this Old Slovenian turŭ, ‘bull,’ Zend staora, ‘draught cattle,’ and the Sanscrit adjective sthûra, ‘great, mighty’ (Old Icelandic stórr, Old High German stûri), are perhaps allied. Greek ταῦρος (whence Latin taurus) is based, as is indicated by Old Irish tarb, on a primitive form tarwos.
stier, adjective, ‘staring,’ Modern High German only; allied to starr.
Stift (1.), masculine, ‘peg, tack, style, pencil,’ from Middle High German stift (stëft), masculine, ‘sting, thorn, peg,’ Old High German stëft, masculine, ‘peg.’ A specifically High German word, which is probably derived from the Aryan root stī̆p, ‘to project,’ appearing in steif. Latin stîpes, ‘stake, trunk (of a tree),’ has also been connected with the same root.
Stift (2.), neuter, ‘charitable foundation, monastery,’ from early Middle High German stift, masculine and neuter, ‘foundation, establishing, building, ecclesiastical foundation,’ also ‘founding, regulation, arrangement,’ to which Middle High German stiften, ‘to found, build, arrange, regulate, devise, contrive, cause,’ is allied. While the substantive is unknown to Old High German, the Old High German verb stiften occurs with the same meaning as the Middle High German verb (compare Dutch sticht, stichten). The ht of Anglo-Saxon stihtan, ‘to regulate, incite,’ is abnormal; like Old Icelandic stétt, ‘stone floor, foundation, it seems to point to a Teutonic root stihw, ‘to build, found.’ The meaning of these cognates precludes any connection with Stift (1).
still, adjective, ‘still, silent, quiet,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stille, Old High German (Old Saxon) stilli; corresponding to the equivalent Dutch stil, Anglo-Saxon stille, English still (adjective and adverb). A derivative of the Aryan root stel, ‘to stand’ (see Stall, stellen, and Stolle), with which Sanscrit sthânu (for sthalnu), ‘standing, immovable,’ is also allied. —
stillen, verb, ‘to still, pacify,’ from Middle High German and Old High German stillen, ‘to cause to be still, bring to a standstill’ (English to still), is a derivative of still.
Stimme, feminine, ‘voice, sound,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stimme, Old High German stimma, feminine, of which the older variant, stimna, corresponds to Old Saxon stëmna (stëmma), Anglo-Saxon stëmn, stefn (English dialectic steven, ‘noise, cry’), Gothic stibna, ‘voice.’ It is uncertain whether *stebnô- or stibnô- is the older form. The connection with Greek στόμα, ‘mouth,’ is dubious.
stinken, verb, ‘to stink,’ from Middle High German stinken, Old High German stinchan. In Old High German and early Middle High German the verb signifies ‘to emit a smell,’ and may even mean ‘to give forth a fragrant odour’; in Middle High German the modern meaning prevails. In Anglo-Saxon too, stincan may mean ‘to emit a fragrant odour’ or ‘to stink’; compare English to stink. This West Teutonic meaning, ‘to emit a (pleasant or unpleasant) smell’ (and also ‘to perceive by smell, to scent’), can scarcely be reconciled with Gothic stigqan, ‘to push,’ and Scandinavian støkkva, ‘to leap, squirt, hasten.’ It is probably more closely connected with Greek ταγγός, ‘rancid’ (compare Greek ταῦρος, equivalent to Gothic stiur).
Stirn, feminine, ‘forehead, brow,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stirne, Old High German stirna (for *sternja), feminine; a specifically High German word (yet also in Anglo-Saxon steornêde, ‘frontosus’?), for which Dutch voorhoofd, Anglo-Saxon foranheáfod, English forehead (Old Icelandic enne, Gothic *anþi, Old High German ęndi, equivalent to Latin antiae), occur. In Bavarian, Hirn is generally used instead of Stirn. The form *sternjô- has been connected with Greek στέρνον, ‘breast,’ while ‘broad’ is assumed to be the intermediate idea, which is deduced from the root ster, in Latin sternere and Greek στρώννυμι, ‘to spread out’; compare Old Slovenian strana, ‘district.’
stöbern, verb, ‘to fly about, drift, drizzle,’ Modern High German only, allied to earlier Modern High German Stöber, masculine, Middle High German stöuber, ‘hound,’ which is derived from Middle High German stöuben, ‘to scare up, start up, chase away’; the latter is a factitive of stieben. To this is allied Modern High German Gestöber, neuter, ‘drifting,’ formed from Middle High German stöuben, ‘to raise dust.’
stochen, verb, only, equivalent to English to stoke; a derivative of the Aryan root stug, ‘to push, thrust,’ discussed under Stock.
Stock, masculine, ‘stick, staff,’ from Middle High German stoc (ck), Old High German stoc (ch), masculine, ‘stick, staff, trunk’ (of a tree, &c.); corresponding to Dutch stok, Anglo-Saxon stocc, English stock, Old Icelandic stokkr. ​The primary meaning ‘stake, club, stick,’ leads to the Sanscrit root tuj, ‘to brandish or hurl weapons, set in violent motion’ (for Sanscrit t, equivalent to Teutonic st, compare Stier). From Teutonic are derived the Romance class, Italian stocco, ‘rapier.’ Allied also to Stück.
Stoff, masculine, ‘stuff, material, matter,’ Modern High German only, borrowed, like Dutch stof, English stuff, from Romance. Compare the equivalent French étoffe, Italian stoffa, feminine, the origin of which has not been explained.
Stoffel, masculine, ‘foolish fellow,’ an abbrev. of Christoph; compare Metze and Rüpel.
stöhnen, verb, ‘to groan,’ Modern High German only, property a Low German word. Compare the equivalent Dutch stenen, Anglo-Saxon stunian, Old Icelandic stynja. The verbal root sten, ‘to groan,’ is common to Teutonic; compare Sanscrit stan, ‘to rustle, roar,’ Greek στένω, ‘to groan, roar,’ Old Slovenian stenją, ‘to groan.’ The root sten is a variant of the Aryan root ten, discussed under donnern.
Stolle, feminine, Stollen, masculine, ‘prop, post, gallery (of a mine),’ from Middle High German stolle, Old High German stollo, masculine, ‘support, post.’ Derived, like Stall, stellen, and still, from the root stal, which appears also in Sanscrit sthûṇâ. The latter points, like Old High German stollo (from *stolno-), to Aryan stelnâ, ‘post’; for ll from ln compare voll and Wolle.
stolpern, verb, ‘to stumble, trip,’ early Modern High German only, an imitative form like holpern.
stolz, adjective, ‘proud, haughty, arrogant,’ from Middle High German, late Old High German stolz, ‘foolish, arrogant, stately, splendid, magnificent, high-minded.’ The assumption that the word was borrowed from Latin stultus, ‘foolish,’ whence Italian stolto, ‘foolish,’ does not meet the case, for Old French estout, ‘arrogant, bold,’ is borrowed from pre-High German *stolto-, the meaning of which is scarcely explicable by Latin stultus, only Middle High German stolz, ‘foolish,’ shows the influence of the Latin and Italian signification. Teutonic *stolto is considered to be cognate with Stelze. English stout seems to be borrowed from Middle Dutch stout (for stolt), with a different development in meaning. — Stolz, masculine, ‘pride,’ is a substantive lately formed from the adjective.
Stöpfel, Stöpsel, masculine, ‘stopper, cork,’ a Modern High German derivative of stopfen, verb, ‘to stuff, cram, mend,’ Middle High German stopfen, Old High German *stopfôn, of which a variant stoppôn, weak verb, ‘to stuff,’ occurs; to the latter, Dutch stoppen, Anglo-Saxon forstoppian, English to stop, correspond. The assumption that the word was borrowed from Middle Latin stuppare, ‘to stop with tow’ (from Latin stuppa, ‘tow’; compare Italian stoppare, French étoupper), is open to objection. It is more closely related to Middle High German stupfen, stüpfen, Old High German stopfôn, ‘to pierce.’ With the implied Aryan root stup (tup) is connected Sanscrit stump (tump), ‘to push, thrust’ (Greek τύπτω?).
Stoppel, feminine, ‘stubble,’ properly a Middle German and Low German form; in genuine High German we have Upper German štupfel, from Middle High German stupfel, Old High German stupfila, feminine; compare the equivalent Dutch stoppel, English stubble, and Old Swedish stubb. Whether the cognates are borrowed from Latin stipula (late Latin stupila, equivalent to Italian stoppio, French étouble, ‘stubble’) is uncertain; nor has it been decided what connection there is between the Teutonic word and its non-Teutonic representatives (such as Old Slovenian stĭblo, ‘stubble’). On the other hand, the root syllable of Stoppel with that of stopfen may point to Aryan stup, ‘to prick, pierce,’ or rather it may with Old Icelandic stúpa, ‘to project’ (to which English steeple, from steep, is allied), be traced back to primary meaning, ‘to stand out rigid, jut, project.’ It might also be connected with the nasalised cognates of Stump, which, with Swiss stṻbes, English stub, and Old Icelandic stúfr, stúfe, ‘stump,’ presume a Teutonic root stū̆p, stū̆b, ‘to hew off.’
stoppen, verb, ‘to stop,’ Modern High German only; borrowed, like other nautical terms, from Low German. Compare English to stop and Bord.
Stöpsel, masculine, see Stöpfel.
Stör, masculine, ‘sturgeon,’ from the equivalent Middle High German störe, stüre, Old High German sturo, sturio, masculine; corresponding to Dutch steur, Anglo-Saxon styrja (styra). The Teutonic term sturjo passed in the form sturio (Middle Latin) into Romance; compare Italian storione, French esturgeon, whence the equivalent English sturgeon. The origin of the Teutonic word is obscure.
Storch, masculine, ‘stork,’ from the equivalent Middle High German storch (variant storc, whence Stork, common to Upper German and West Thuringian); Old High German storah (hh), also storc, masculine; compare Anglo-Saxon storc, English stork, and the equivalent Old Icelandic storkr. Its prehistoric connection with Greek τόργος, ‘vulture,’ is dubious. On the other band, the Slavonic cognates, Old Slovenian stĭrkŭ, Russian sterchŭ, ‘stork,’ must have been borrowed from Old Teutonic.
stören, verb, ‘to stir up, disturb, poke, rake,’ from Middle High German stœren, Old High German stôren (stôrren from *stôrjan, *staurjan), weak verb, ‘to scatter, destroy, annihilate’; to these ​are allied North Frisian stiaren, and with gradation Anglo-Saxon styrian, English to stir, but hardly the cognates of streuen. The early history is obscure.
Storren, masculine, ‘stump of a tree,’ from the equivalent Middle High German storre, Old High German storro, masculine, which is connected with Old High German storrên, Middle High German storren, ‘to stand out, project’ (Gothic andstaúrran, ‘to grumble, murmur’; root star, see starr. To this is allied störrig, adverb, ‘stubbornly, obstinately,’ Modern High German only; literally ‘clod-like, of the nature of a clod.’
stoßen, verb, ‘to push, thrust,’ from the e Middle High German stôȥen, Old High German stôȥan, strong verb, corresponding to Gothic stautan, Old Saxon stôtan, Dutch stooten. The common Teutonic strong verbal root staut corresponds in non-Teutonic to an Aryan root tud, by gradation taud, which appears in Latin tundo, ‘to beat, bruise, stun’ (Latin tudes, ‘hammer’), and the Sanscrit root tud, ‘to push, thrust’; for Teutonic st, equivalent to Aryan t, compare Stier and Storch. See the following word.
stottern, verb, ‘to stutter, stammer,’ Modern High German only (in Swabian gaksen, Austrian štückezen), formed from Middle German and Low German, in which stotteren (so too in Dutch) is an intensive of stoten, ‘to push, thrust’ (stottern, literally ‘to stumble repeatedly’); corresponding to English to stutter. See the preceding word.
Stotz, masculine, ‘stump of a tree,’ Modern High German only; early history obscure.
strack, adjective, ‘extended, direct, tense,’ from Middle High German strac (ck), ‘straight, tight,’ to which Modern High German stracks, adverb, ‘straightway, immediately,’ from Middle High German strackes, is allied; so too Modern High German strecken, ‘to stretch, extend.’
Strafe, feminine, ‘punishment, penalty, fine,’ from the equivalent Middle High German (rare), strâfe, feminine; Old High German *strâfa, feminine, is, like the verb corresponding to Modern High German and Middle High German strâfen, ‘to punish,’ not recorded. The cognates are specifically High German (whence Dutch straf), and are wanting in the other Teutonic dialects. The late appearance of the word does not prove that it was borrowed. The history of the cognates is obscure.
straff, adjective, ‘stretched, tense, tight,’ from Middle High German (rare) straf(ff), ‘tense, strict’; probably a Low German word corresponding to Dutch straf. Its early history is, however, obscure. It has been supposed that Italian strappare, ‘to tear out,’ is borrowed from Teutonic by assuming a root strap, ‘to draw’; hence straff, literally ‘drawn tight’?.
Strahl, masculine, ‘ray, beam,’ from Middle High German strâl, strâle, masculine and feminine, Old High German strâla, feminine, ‘arrow, flash of lightning’ (Old High German donerstrâla, ‘flash of lighting’); corresponding to Dutch straal, Anglo-Saxon strœ̂l, ‘arrow.’ These West Teutonic cognates (whence Italian strale, ‘arrow’) are closely connected with Old Slovenian strěla, ‘arrow’ (whence Russian strěla, ‘arrow,’ hence Strelitze literally ‘marksman, archer’). To these are allied strahlen, ‘to beam, radiate’ (occurring in ModHG only), and also the following word.
Strähle, feminine, ‘comb,’ from the equivalent Middle High German strœl, masculine, to which Modern High German and Middle High German strœlen, ‘to comb,’ is allied; the equivalent Old High German verb strâlen (*strâllen, *stralian) presumes also for Old High German a substantive strâl, meaning ‘comb.’ It is not improbable that the separate teeth of the comb were regarded as arrows, rays.
Strähne, feminine, ‘skein, hank,’ from the equivalent Middle High German strën, strëne, Old High German strëno, masculine, corresponding to Middle Dutch strene, Dutch streen. Its connection with the preceding word is uncertain.
stramm, adjective, ‘dense, vigorous, huge.’ Modern High German only, a Low German word; corresponding to Dutch stram, North Frisian striam, ‘bolt upright.’
strampeln, verb ‘to kick, struggle,’ Modern High German only, originally a Low German word; compare Dutch strompelen, ‘to stumble, stagger.’ Its early history is obscure.
Strand, masculine, ‘strand, beach,’ from late Middle High German (Middle German) strant (d), masculine, adopted as a literary term from Low German; compare Dutch strand, Anglo-Saxon strand, English strand, Old Icelandic strǫnd. These cognates, from which Old French étrain is borrowed, cannot be traced farther back. To this is allied the Modern High German stranden, equivalent to Dutch stranden, English to strand. Compare Ufer.
Strang, masculine, ‘rope, string, halter, trace,’ from Middle High German stranc, strange, masculine and feminine, Old High German strang, masculine, ‘string, rope’; compare Dutch streng, Anglo-Saxon stręng, English string, Old Icelandic strengr, ‘string, strap.’ This Teutonic strangi- seems to be the adjective streng (literally ‘strong’), used as a substantive. Yet Strang, like Greek στραγγάλη, ‘string,’ and Latin stringere, ‘to draw tight,’ might be connected with an Aryan root strenk (streng), ‘to turn.’
Straße, feminine, ‘street, road,’ from the equivalent Middle High German strâȥe, feminine, Old High German strâȥa, feminine; a common West Teutonic term; compare Dutch straat, Anglo-Saxon strœ̂t, English street, Old Swedish strata, ‘road,’ Modern Swedish stråt (Old Icelandic strœ́ti and Old Swedish strœti are derived from Old English). The form strâta, ‘street,’ was borrowed in the 1st century ​(perhaps contemporaneously with Pfund, Sack, Münze, &c.) from Middle Latin strâta (scil. via, literally ‘paved road’) before the Latin t was softened to d in Romance; compare Italian strada, Spanish estrada, French (dialectic) étrée, to which OIr, sráth, ‘street,’ is allied.
sträuben, verb, ‘to ruffle or bristle up, resist,’ from *striuben (for which striubeln occurs), Old High German strûben, weak verb, also Middle High German strûben, Old High German strûbên, ‘to stand motionless, look fixedly, rise aloft, bristle up, resist.’ Compare Middle High German strûp (b), ‘bristling up,’ strobeleht, strûbeleht, ‘bristly.’ To this streifen is allied. In the non-Teutonic languages indubitable cognates of the genuine Teutonic root strū̆b, ‘to be coarse,’ are wanting; yet compare Greek στρυφνὸς, ‘bitter, firm, stout’?.
Strauch, masculine, ‘shrub, bush,’ from the equivalent Middle High German strûch, masculine (to which the Modern High German collective Gesträuck is allied); wanting in Old High German. Corresponding to Dutch struik, ‘shrub’ (also Dutch stronk, ‘shrub,’ equivalent to Low German Strunk, with a nasalised root syllable). The stem is not found in other languages; the relation of the cognates of Modern High German straucheln is dubious.
straucheln, verb, ‘to stumble,’ from the equivalent Middle High German strûcheln, an intensive form of Old High German strûhhên, strûhhôn, ‘to stumble’; it corresponds to the equivalent Dutch struikelen. To this is allied the root verb Old Icelandic strjúka, ‘to stroke, rub’; but Modern High German Strauch is scarcely connected with this Teutonic root strū̆k, ‘to glide’ (at all events straucheln is not ‘to entangle oneself in bushes’). It is uncertain whether Greek στρεύγεσθαι, ‘to grow tired,’ is a cognate.
Strauß (1.), masculine, ‘quarrel. conflict, fight,’ from the equivalent Middle High German strûȥ, masculine; to this Middle High German striuȥen, ‘to resist,’ Anglo-Saxon strûtian, ‘to quarrel,’ is allied.
Strauß (2.), masculine, ‘crest, tuft, nosegay,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German *strûȥ, masculine, which may be inferred from gestriuȥe and striuȥach, ‘cluster of bushes.’
Strauß (3.), masculine, ‘ostrich,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German strûȥ, masculine; it seems to be rather a corruption of late Latin strûthio, ‘ostrich,’ on which Anglo-Saxon strŷta is based (compare Italian struzzo, French autruche, whence English ostrich), than a permutation of pre-High German *strûto-. The word may have been borrowed contemporaneously with Pfau. On the other hand, a direct connection with Greek στρουθίον, or rather ἡ μεγάλη στροῦθος, ‘ostrich’ (στροῦθος, ‘sparrow’), is impossible. Moreover, it is remarkable that the Germans say Vogel Strauß, in the came way as the French autruche (Spanish av-estruz) from avistrutio, is liked with Latin avis.
streben, verb, ‘to strive, struggle, endeavour,’ from Middle High German strëben, weak verb, ‘to move violently, exert oneself, contend.’ The Old High German strong verb corresponding to the non-recorded weak verb *strëbên would be *strîban (*strîfan?), as is assumed by the Romance loan-words. Compare Old French estriver, ‘to fight, wrestle,’ estrif, ‘contest,’ whence English to strive, strife, are borrowed.
strecken, verb, ‘to stretch, extend,’ from Middle High German stręcken, Old High German stręcchen, weak verb, ‘to straighten, make tense, extend, stretch’; corresponds to Dutch strekken, Anglo-Saxon stręččęan, English to stretch. The corresponding adjective strack (compare also Old High German stracchên, ‘to be extended’), points to a Teutonic root strak (for srak, a variant of rak in recken?), which is perhaps connected with the root of Strang and strenge. It is doubtful whether the High German cognates are borrowed from Italian straccare, ‘to exhaust, fatigue.’
streichen, verb, ‘to rub,’ from Middle High German strîchen, strong verb, ‘to smooth, make strokes, draw, rub, besmear,’ Old High German strîhhan, strong verb, ‘to rub.’ To this is allied the Modern High German weak verb streichen, from Middle High German streichen (Old High German streihhôn), weak verb, ‘to graze, touch, stroke,’ as well as Modern High German Streich, masculine, from Middle High German streich, masculine, ‘blow, cut, stroke,’ and Modern High German Strich, masculine, from Middle High German and Old High German strich, masculine, ‘stroke, line’ (compare Gothic striks). The correspondences in the other Teutonic dialects are Dutch strijken, Anglo-Saxon strîcan, English to strike (whence stroke). With the pre-Teutonic root strī̆g are connected Latin stringere, ‘to strip off, unsheath, touch, graze slightly,’ Latin striga, ‘stroke,’ Old Slovenian strigą (strišti), ‘to shear, cut off.’
Streifen, masculine, ‘stripe, streak,’ from late Middle High German streif, masculine, ‘expedition,’ allied to Middle High German streifen (streipfen), weak verb, ‘to glide, march, roam’; compare Dutch strippen, ‘to strip off leaves’ (streep, ‘stripe, streak, stroke’). Further cognates are wanting.
streifen, verb, ‘to graze slightly, strip off,’ from Middle High German ströufen (stroufen), weak verb, besides which a rare form, striefen, ‘to skin, flay, chastise,’ occurs. Old High German *stroufen and Gothic *straupjan are also indicated by Dutch stroopen, ‘to strip, strip off leaves, make predatory excursions,’ Anglo-Saxon bestrŷpan, English to strip. Modern High German sträuben is also more remotely allied. Prehistoric ​cognates of the Teutonic root straup are wanting. For Modern High German ei, equivalent to Middle High German öu, see Schleife.
Streit, masculine, ‘dispute, quarrel, strife,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German strît, masculine; allied to Modern High German streiten, Middle High German strîten, Old High German strîtan, strong verb, ‘to quarrel, fight.’ Old High German einstrîti, ‘stubborn,’ Old Saxon strîd, ‘zeal,’ and Old Icelandic strîðr, ‘stubborn, severe, strong,’ show that Streit has gone through the same development of meanings as Krieg (literally ‘exertion’); Old Icelandic strîð, neuter, ‘pain, grief, oppression,’ is, however, remarkable (yet compare the cognates of Modern High German tapfer). Pre-historic cognates of the Teutonic root strîd (for strî’, srî?) are wanting; yet compare Sanscrit sridh, ‘enemy.’
streng, adjective, ‘strict, severe, stern,’ from Middle High German stręnge, adjective, Old High German stręngi, ‘strong, brave, hard, unfriendly’ (to which the adverb Middle High German strange, Old High German strango, is allied); compare Old Saxon strang, Dutch streng, Anglo-Saxon and English strong, and the equivalent Old Icelandic strangr. Its connection with Strang (strenge, literally ‘tense’) has been already suggested, yet compare also Lettic stringt, ‘to grow tight, withered.’ —
strengen (in anstrengen), from Middle High German and Old High German stręngen, ‘to press, urge,’ is a nominal verb.
Streu, feminine, ‘litter, bed of straw,’ from the equivalent Middle High German ströu, feminine, allied to streuen, from the equivalent Middle High German ströuwen (strouwen), Old High German stręwen (strouwen), weak verb. To this correspond Gothic straujan, Old Saxon stręwian, Dutch strooijen, Anglo-Saxon streowian, English to strew. The common Teutonic straujan (to which Stroh is allied), whence Italian sdrajarsi, ‘to stretch away,’ is borrowed, is connected in some inexplicable manner with the Aryan root ster (strō̆), in Latin sternere, Greek στορέννυμι, στρώννυμι, and the Sanscrit root stṛ, ‘to strew.’
Strich, see streichen.
Strick, masculine, ‘string, cord,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German stric (ck), masculine. Its connection with Strang or streichen is dubious; it is rather related to Sanscrit sraj, ‘winding, twisted ornament,’ or Sanscrit rajju, ‘string’ (for Teutonic str from Aryan sr, compare Schwester, Strom, and strecken). — Modern High German stricken, ‘to knit,’ from Middle High German stricken, Old High German stricchen, ‘to lace, clasp, plait,’ is probably a derivative.
Striegel, masculine, ‘currycomb,’ from the equivalent Middle High German strigel, Old High German strigil, masculine; to this striegeln, ‘to comb,’ from the equivalent Middle High German strigelen, is allied. The word is borrowed from Latin strĭgĭlis, ‘scraper (used by bathers), flesh-brush’ (Italian stregghia, streglia, French étrille, ‘currycomb’). It is scarcely related directly to streichen (Aryan root strik, strig).
Strieme, masculine and feminine, ‘stripe, streak, scar,’ from Middle High German strieme (streime, strîme), masculine, ‘stripe’; Old High German strī̆mo (to which strimil, Middle High German strîmel, is allied), ‘stripe,’ is an isolated relic of a Teutonic-Aryan root strī̆, which is not found elsewhere.
Strippe, feminine, ‘string, strap, band,’ a Middle German and Low German form for the genuine Middle High German strüpfe. Yet compare also Swiss štruppe, ‘strap.’
Strobel, masculine, ‘pine cone, strobile,’ Modern High German only, allied to Middle High German strobelen, Old High German strobalôn. See sträuben.
Stroh, masculine, ‘straw,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German strô (genitive strawes, strauwes, strôwes), neuter; a common Teutonic word. Compare Dutch stroo, Anglo-Saxon streaw, English straw, Old Icelandic strá (Gothic *strawa-), neuter. Its connection with streuen is evident, yet its exact relation is uncertain (Stroh, literally ‘hangings, embossed paper’?).
Strom, masculine, ‘stream, torrent, current,’ from the equivalent Middle High German strôm (stroum), Old High German stroum; common to Teutonic in the form straumo-. Compare Old Saxon strôm, Dutch stroom, Anglo-Saxon streám, English stream, and the equivalent Old Icelandic straumr. Teutonic straumo- for srou-mo- is based on the Aryan root srū̆ (srou), ‘to flow,’ which appears in Greek ῥέω (for *σρέϝω; ῥύσις, ‘flowing,’ for sru-ti-s), Sanscrit root sru, ‘to flow,’ Old Irish sruth, ‘river,’ and sruaim (base sroumen), ‘stream.’ For the evolution of Aryan sr to str see Schwester and Strick.
strotzen, verb, ‘to be puffed up, teem, boast of,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German strotzen, weak verb. The Teutonic root strū̆t, which is not widely diffused, appears in English strut (to which Old Icelandic þrútenn, ‘swollen,’ is allied; compare Old Icelandic þjórr, equivalent to High German Stier). To this Modern High German Strauß, ‘contest,’ with the evolved meaning ‘to swell with anger,’ and its cognates are allied?.
Strudel, masculine, ‘eddy, whirlpool, vortex,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German strudel, masculine. A graded form from Old High German strëdan, strong verb, ‘to roar, bubble’; Latin strîdere, ‘to whiz,’ is not connected with the High German cognates.
Strumpf, masculine, ‘stocking,’ from Middle High German strumpf, masculine, ‘stump, trunk (of a tree, of a body).’ These meanings of the Middle High German word that it is equivalent to the ​following word (*strumpo- for *strunqo-?). The Modern High German sense results from the originally current compound Hosenstrumpf (hence literally ‘the end of the hose, short hose’).
Strunk, masculine, ‘trunk, stem, stump,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German strunc, masculine, which, like the preceding word and Strauch, points to a Teutonic root strū̆k. It corresponds to Dutch strouk.
struppig, adjective, ‘rough, bristly, scrubby,’ see sträubeln. Gestrüpp, ‘brambles, bushes,’ is a collective term formed from it in Modern High German.
Stube, feminine, ‘room, chamber,’ from Middle High German stube, Old High German stuba, feminine, ‘room with means for heating, sitting-room, bathroom’; common to Old Teutonic; compare Dutch stoof, ‘foot-stove, drying-room,’ Anglo-Saxon stofa, English stove, Old Icelandic stofa, ‘room, bathroom with a stove.’ Although the Romance origin of the cognates is impossible (Italian stufa, French étuve, ‘sweating-room, stove,’ are certainly borrowed from Teutonic), this does not prove that the words are genuinely Teutonic. The word stuba was adopted in Finnish as tupa, in Lithuanian as stubà; compare Old Slovenian istŭba, izba, Hungarian szoba, Turk. soba, ‘room.’ The primary meaning of the Teutonic word is ‘heated room,’ as may be inferred from Dutch stoven, ‘to stew, warm up’ (whence Italian stufare, French etuver, ‘to foment’).
Stüber, masculine, Nasenstüber, masculine, ‘fillip,’ Modern High German only, allied to Low German stubben, ‘to push.’ In the sense of ‘stiver’ (a coin), the word, which first occurs in Modern High German, is obscure; it is, however, met with as Dutch stuiver and Swedish styfver.
Stück, neuter, ‘piece, article,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stücke, Old High German stucchi, neuter; a common Teutonic word; compare Old Saxon stukki, Dutch stuk, Anglo-Saxon styčče, Old Icelandic stykke, neuter, ‘piece.’ Allied to Stock, and, like the latter word, probably means literally ‘that which is cut off or hewn to pieces.’ The secondary meaning ‘bark’ of Old High German stucchi is indicated by Italian stucco, ‘gypsum, stucco,’ whence again Modern High German Stuck, ‘stucco,’ masculine, Stuckatur, feminine, ‘stucco-work.’
Stufe, feminine, ‘step, degree, grade,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stuofe, Old High German stuofa, feminine, both of which are rare (compare Dutch stoep, ‘threshold’). A graded form from the root stap, ‘to go’ (Anglo-Saxon stôpol, ‘footprint’), which appears in Modern High German Staffel and English to step. Compare also Tritt in the sense of Stufe.
stufen, stofen, verb, ‘to cook slowly,’ Modern High German only, from Low German. Compare Dutch stoven under Stube.
Stuhl, masculine, ‘chair, seat,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German stuol, masculine; corresponding to Old Saxon stôl, Dutch stoel, Anglo-Saxon stôl, English stool, Old Icelandic stóll. A common Teutonic noun, derived from the Aryan root stā̆, ‘to stand’ (see stehen), or from the Aryan root stal, ‘to put, place’ (see stellen), hence Stuhl, literally ‘stand, frame’?. It corresponds in the non-Teutonic languages to Lithuanian pastólas, ‘stand, frame,’ Old Slovenian stolŭ, ‘seat, throne,’ Greek στήλη, ‘pillar.’
Stulpe, feminine, ‘pot-lid, coat-cuff,’ Modern High German only, from Low German. Compare Dutch stulp, ‘lid of a stewpot,’ and stulpen, ‘to cover with a lid,’ whence Modern High German stülpen, ‘to put on a lid’ (stelpen, ‘to check,’ to which Old Icelandic stólpe, ‘post,’ is allied). Early history obscure.
stumm, adjective, ‘dumb, silent,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German (and Old Saxon) stum (mm); corresponding to Dutch stom, ‘dumb.’ Its connection with the cognates of stammeln (root stam) is undoubted. Middle High German stęmmen, Old High German stęmmen (from stamjan), ‘to stop, check’ (compare stemmen and ungestüm), shows that stammeln and stumm sein mean literally ‘to falter (in speaking).’
Stummel, masculine, ‘stump,’ from Middle High German stummel, stumbel, Old High German stumbal, masculine, ‘piece cut off, stump’; properly an adjective used as a substantive, from Old High German stumbal, Middle High German stumbel, ‘mutilated.’ This word is based (like the equivalent Old High German and Middle High German stumpf, adjective and substantive; see Stumpf) on a pre-Teutonic root sthmb, ‘to mutilate,’ which appears in Lithuanian stìmbras, ‘stump,’ stàmbras, stembrýs, and stèmbras, ‘stem, stalk,’ stàmbas, ‘trunk, stump,’ stambùs, ‘coarse.’ — To this verstümmeln, verb, ‘to mutilate,’ from the equivalent Middle High German verstümbelen, Old High German stumbilôn, is allied.
Stump, masculine, ‘stump,’ a Low German form for High German Stumpf, Middle High German and Old High German stumpf. Corresponding to Dutch stomp, English stump (also Old Icelandic stúfr, ‘stump’?). (Modern High German Stümper, ‘bungler, blunderer,’ literally ‘mutilated person,’ is also properly Low German; compare Dutch stomper). - The adjective stumpf, ‘lopped, docked, blunt,’ comes from the equivalent Old High German and Middle High German stumpf; Dutch stomp, ‘blunt.’ Its connection with Stummel is certain; besides the Teutonic root stumb (Aryan stemp), in Modern High German Stummel, we have to assume an equivalent root stump (Aryan stemb), which appears in Lithuanian stambras, ‘stump.’ —
Stümper, masculine, ‘bungler, blunderer,’ early Modern High German only, is a derivative of the Low German form Stump.
​ stumpf, adjective, see the preceding word.
Stunde, feminine, ‘hour, time, league,’ from Middle High German stunde, Old High German stunta, feminine, ‘time, period of time’ (the Modern High German signification ‘hora’ first occurs in late Middle High German, the primary meaning was ‘undefined period’). Corresponding to Old Saxon stunda, Anglo-Saxon stund, English dialectic stound, Old Icelandic stund, ‘space of time’; Dutch stond, ‘moment.’ The pre-historic connections of the word (perchance with Stand, gestanden; hence Stunde, ‘rest, repose’?) are uncertain.
stupfen, verb, ‘to poke, push,’ from Middle High German and Old High German stupfen (stüpfen). See under stopfen.
sturen, verb, ‘to stare at,’ Modern High German only. A graded form, from starr.
Sturm, masculine, ‘storm, tumult,’ from Middle High German and Old High German sturm, masculine, ‘tempest, fight’; compare Dutch storm, Anglo-Saxon and English storm, and the equivalent Old Icelandic stormr. From the common Teutonic storm (sturm) are derived the Romance cognates, Italian stormo, ‘concourse, encounter, quarrel,’ which proves the primitive use of the word in the figurative sense of ‘fight’ (English stour is based on the corresponding Old French estour). The Teutonic root stur is a relic of the Aryan root ser (sṛ from stur?), to which Greek ὁρμή, ‘attack, impact,’ Sanscrit root sṛ, ‘to stream, hasten,’ belong (for str from sr, see Schwester and Strom). Others prefer to regard the word as primitively cognate with Latin sternere, ‘to throw down.’
stürzen, verb, ‘to hurl, overturn, overthrow, sink, plunge,’ from Middle High German stürzen, Old High German sturzen (from *sturzjan, *sturtjan), weak verb, ‘to hurl, sink, turn, cover by inverting’; corresponding to Dutch storten. Allied probably to English to start (to startle, from Anglo-Saxon steartlian). The early history of the Teutonic root stert (to which Sterz is allied?) cannot be traced further back.
Stute, feminine, ‘mare,’ from Middle High German stuot, feminine, ‘breeding stud, mare’ (for the evolution of a collective meaning see Kamerad and Frauenzimmer), Old High German stuta, singular, ‘drove of horses.’ Corresponding to Anglo-Saxon stôd, equivalent to English stud, Anglo-Saxon stêda (English steed), ‘stallion’; Old Icelandic stóð, ‘stud, number of horses,’ and stedda (from *stœ́dda), feminine, ‘mare’; compare also Middle English stott, ‘horse.’ Modern High German Gestüt, neuter, ‘stud,’ is a recent collective form. Old Slovenian stado, Lithuanian stodas, ‘drove of horses,’ are clearly related to the Teutonic cognates, but they may with as good reason be regarded as loan-words; yet compare Lithuanian stónè, ‘stable’ (for horses). The whole of the cognates are connected with the Aryan root stā̆, ‘to stand’ (Old High German stuota, literally ‘stock’? ‘stable’?).
stutzen, verb, ‘to stop short, hesitate, be startled, to cut short,’ from late Middle High German stutzen, weak verb, ‘to scare away’; allied to Middle High German stutz, ‘push, impact’ (Teutonic root staut, see stoßen); compare Dutch stuiten, ‘to check, rebound.’ —
Stutzer, masculine, ‘fop, dandy,’ Modern High German only, literally ‘one who wears gay clothes.’ — stutzig, adjective, ‘curtailed, stubborn, startled,’ is also allied.
stützen, verb, ‘to prop, support,’ from the equivalent Middle High German (under-) stützen, Old High German (untar-)stuzzen; allied to Middle High German and Modern High German stütze. Old High German stuzzen, from *stutjan, points to a Teutonic root stut, besides which Old High German studen, Old Icelandic styðja, ‘to fix firmly, properly’ and Anglo-Saxon stuðu, studu, ‘post’ (English stud), presume a Teutonic root stuþ (stud). The early history of the cognates is obscure.
suchen, verb, ‘to seek, search,’ from the equivalent Middle High German suochen (süechen), Old High German suohhan (suohhen); a common Teutonic verb, properly strong. Compare Gothic sôkjan, Anglo-Saxon sêcan, English to seek (and to beseech), Dutch zoeken, Old Saxon sôkian, ‘to seek.’ The strong verbal root sôk, from Aryan sâg, has primitively cognates in Greek ἡγέομας ‘to lead,’ and especially in Latin sâgire, ‘to trace out,’ and Old Irish sáigim, ‘to seek.’ To these are allied the cognates of Sache.
Sucht, feminine, ‘sickness, disease,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German suht, feminine; an abstract formation from Gothic siukan, strong verb, ‘to be ill’; see siech (and schwach?). Corresponding to Gothic sauhts, Old Icelandic sótt (English only sick), Dutch zucht (and ziekte). The Germans often instinctively connect Sucht with suchen (hence Sucht nach etwas, ‘rage for something’).
suckeln, verb, ‘to suckle,’ Modern High German only, intensive of saugen.
Süd, see Süden.
sudeln, verb, ‘to splash, soil, daub,’ from late Middle High German sudelen, ‘to dirty’; literally perhaps ‘to cook badly’ (Middle High German sudel, ‘keeper of a cookshop’); allied to sieden.
Süden, masculine, ‘south’; the strictly High German form is Sund, which survives in the proper names Sundgau, Sundheim, &c.; compare Old High German sundwint, ‘south wind,’ sundarwint (Middle High German sunderwint). Yet the simple form of the word became obsolete at an early period in Upper German (the term used being Mittag), the names of the other cardinal ​points being also unknown. The loss of the n in Süden (Middle High German sunden. Old High German sundan) points to the adoption of the word from Low German. The primitively Teutonic stem sunþ-, ‘south,’ is also assumed by Old Icelandic sunnan, Anglo-Saxon sûðan, ‘from the south,’ Anglo-Saxon sûð, Dutch zuid, Old Saxon sûth, ‘south.’ The term sunþ-, ‘south,’ is as specifically Teutonic as Norden and Westen. Whether sunþ- is derived from sun-, in Gothic sun-nô, ‘sun,’ and means literally ‘sun-side,’ is not certain (yet note Osten as ‘dawn-side’).
Sühne, feminine, ‘atonement, expiation, reconciliation,’ from Middle High German (rare) süene (mostly suone), feminine, ‘atonement, reconciliation, sentence,’ Old High German suona, feminine, ‘sentence, court, reconciliation.’ To this is allied Modern High German sühnen, verb, ‘to atone for, expiate, conciliate,’ from Middle High German süenen, Old High German suonen, ‘to conciliate, reconcile, equalise’ (Old High German ‘to judge’). Old High German suona, ‘court,’ and Old Icelandic són, ‘sacrifice,’ appear to be connected with a root sā̆n, ‘to set up,’ from which Latin sânus, ‘healthy,’ and Modern High German gesund may have been derived. Derivative versöhnen, ‘to reconcile.’
Sulze, Sülze, feminine, ‘pickle, brine, pickled or salted meat,’ from Middle High German sulze, sülze, Old High German sulza (from *sultja), feminine, ‘salt water, pickled sausage,’ compare Old Saxon sultia, ‘salt water,’ Dutch zult, ‘pickled meat’; undoubtedly a graded form of Salz. From the Teutonic word is derived Italian solcio, ‘preserve, pickles.’
summen, verb, ‘to hum,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German summen, weak verb; an onomatopoetic form.
Sumpf, masculine, ‘swamp, bog, marsh,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sumpf (wanting in Old High German, in which sumft is used). Corresponding to Dutch somp, and with an old gradation English swamp (dialectic sump). Old High German giswumft and Gothic swumfel, ‘pond,’ are differently derived. Its connection with schwimmen (Sumpf, ‘porous soil’?) is very dubious; it is preferable to connect it with Old Icelandic svǫppr, ‘sponge.’ The Teutonic root was probably swemp; English dialectic swanky, ‘marshy,’ may point to an originally swenq.
Sund, masculine, ‘sound, strait,’ early Modern High German only, a Middle German and Low German word; compare Anglo-Saxon sund, English sound, Old Icelandic sund, ‘sea, strait.’ The connection with Gothic sundrô, ‘separated’ (see sonders), is open to objection on account of the meaning (Sund, literally ‘division between countries and islands’?). It is preferable to link it with Anglo-Saxon and Old Icelandic sund, neuter, ‘swimming,’ which is an abstract of schwimmen (sunda- for swm-tó-, allied to the root swem); by this assumption Sund is regarded as ‘the place where one can swim.’
Sünde, feminine, ‘sin, offence,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sünde, Old High German suntu, suntea (base *sundî), feminine. Corresponding to Old Low German sundia, Dutch zonde; the equivalent Anglo-Saxon synn (English sin) is based on the primary form *sunjô for *sundjô; Old Icelandic synð also points to a Gothic *sunidi. Pre-Teutonic swntiâ-, swenetiâ-, belong to a pre-Teutonic root swen, sun, which, with a dental suffix, appear also in Greek ἄτη, ‘guilt, damage,’ Latin sons, ‘guilty,’ sonticus, ‘injurious.’
Sündflut, feminine, ‘the Flood,’ is an early Modern High German corruption of the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German sin-vluot, which means literally ‘great universal overflow.’ The term sin-, which appears only in Old Teutonic compounds, signifies ‘general, constantly, always’ (compare Singrün, ‘periwinkle’), in Gothic sinteins, ‘daily, everlasting,’ Anglo-Saxon symble, Old Saxon and Old High German simblum, ‘always.’ Compare Latin sem-per, ‘always.’
Suppe, feminine, ‘soup, broth’; late Middle High German suppe (soppe), feminine, ‘broth, sauce, soup’; properly a Middle German and Low German word, the pp of which would be represented by pf in genuine High German. Allied to the root sū̆p, ‘to drink’; compare Middle High German supfen, ‘to sip, drink’ (Dutch soppen, English to sop) and saufen. Compare Dutch sop and soep. The Low German word passed into Romance; compare Italian zuppa, ‘wine soup,’ Spanish sopa, French soupe, whence the equivalent English soup (Old French souppe, ‘sop’).
surren, weak verb, ‘to hum, buzz,’ Modern High German only, an imitative word.
süß, adjective, ‘sweet,’ from the equivalent Middle High German süeȥe, adjective (also suoȥe, swuoȥe, adverb), Old High German suoȥi (swuoȥi), adjective, a common Teutonic term, occurring also in the other Aryan languages. Compare Old Saxon swôti, Dutch zoet, Anglo-Saxon swête, English sweet, Old Icelandic sœ́tr, Gothic *swôtus (for which sū̆ts is found), ‘sweet.’ The Teutonic swôt-u, from Aryan swâd-ú, is based on an Aryan root swā̆d; compare Sanscrit svad, ‘sweet, delicious,’ and the root svad, ‘to taste nice’ (svâd, ‘to be rejoiced’), Greek ἡδύς, ‘sweet,’ and ἥδομαι, ‘I rejoice’ (ἡδονή, ‘pleasure,’ ἁνδάνω, ‘to please’), Latin suâvis for *suâdvis, ‘sweet’ (also suâdere, ‘to advise,’ literally ‘to make tasty, pleasant’?). In the Teutonic group, Anglo-Saxon swătan, Scotch swats, ‘beer,’ may be allied; on the other hand, the primary verb corresponding to ​Aryan swâdú-, ‘sweet,’ was lost at an early period in Teutonic.
Sutter, masculine, ‘sea-adder,’ early Modern High German only, from late Middle High German sutteren, ‘to boil over’; allied, like Middle High German Sudel, to sieden.