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

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