# An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/S-Sch (full text)

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S.
Saal, masculine, ‘hall, large room, drawing-room,’ from Middle High German and Old High German sal, masculine and neuter, ‘house, large room, hall, building generally containing only one room, especially used for assemblies’; Old Saxon sęli, masculine, ‘building consisting of only one large room.’ In Old High German and Old Saxon the term sęlihûs, ‘house with a large room,’ is also used; Anglo-Saxon sęle, salor, sœl, ‘hall, palace,’ Old Icelandic salr, masculine (Old Teutonic saloz, saliz, neuter, may be assumed). Gothic preserves only the allied saljan, ‘to find shelter, remain,’ and saliþwôs, feminine plural ‘lodging, guest-chamber’; compare with the latter Old High German sęlida, feminine, ‘dwelling,’ Middle High German sęlde. To these Old Slovenian selitva, feminine, ‘dwelling,’ and selo, neuter, ‘courtyard, village,’ and also Latin sŏlum, ‘soil, ground.’ From the Teutonic cognates are derived the Romance class, Italian sala, French salle, ‘hall, room.’
Saat, feminine, ‘sowing, seed, crop,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German sât, feminine; corresponding to Old Saxon sâd, neuter, Dutch zaad, Anglo-Saxon sœ̂d, masculine and neuter, English seed, Old Icelandic sœ̂ðe, and sáð, neuter, ‘seed,’ Gothic only in mana-sêþs (þ equivalent to d), feminine, ‘mankind, world.’ Old Teutonic sê-di and sê-da- are abstract forms from the primitively root sê, ‘to sow,’ contained in Seu and Same.
Säbel, masculine, ‘sabre,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German and early Modern High German Sabel and Sebel, masculine, which, like the equivalent French and English sabre and Italian sciabla, seems to be derived from the East; the ultimate source is still uncertain. The Slavonic words, such as Russian sablja, Polish szabla, Servian sablja, us well as Hun. száblya, appear to have been borrowed.
Säbenbaum, see Sebenbaum.
Sache, feminine, ‘thing, matter, affair, business, case,’ from Middle High German sache, Old High German sahha, feminine, ‘quarrel, cause of dispute, lawsuit, opportunity, affair, cause, reason'; corresponding to the equivalent Old Icelandic sǫk, feminine, and Old Saxon saka, feminine; compare Dutch zaak, ‘thing,’ Anglo-Saxon sacu, ‘strife, feud,’ English sake, Gothic sakjô, feminine, ‘strife, dispute.’ The cognates are connected with Gothic sakan, ‘to strive, dispute,’ Anglo-Saxon sacan, Old Saxon sakan, Old High German sahhan, ‘to blame, scold; sue (at law).’ The root sak, ‘to contend, sue (at law),’ is peculiar to Teutonic. The evolution in meaning is worthy of special notice. The general sense ‘case' is a later development of ‘lawsuit, dispute,’ which has been preserved in Modern High German Sachwalter, ‘attorney, advocate’ (see further Widersacher). Old legal parlance developed the former from the latter.
sacht, adjective, ‘soft, gentle, slow, gradual,’ Modern High German only (unknown to Upper German), from Low German sacht, compare Dutch zacht; Low German and Dutch cht for High German ft. It corresponds to High German sanst, the nasal of which has disappeared even in Old Saxon sâfto, adverb, ‘softly, gently.’
Sack, masculine, ‘sack, bag, pocket,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sac (genitive sackes), Old High German sac (genitive sacches), masculine; corresponding to the equivalent Gothic sakkus, masculine, Old Icelandic sekkr, masculine, Anglo-Saxon sœcc, masculine, English sack, and Dutch zak. A loanword from Latin saccus (Italian sacco, French and Old Irish sac), which came through the medium of Greek σάκκος, from the Hebrew and Phœnician sak. The Latin word seems to have been introduced into German, through commercial intercourse with Roman merchants, at a very early period (in Cæsar's time?), probably contemporaneously with Arche, Kiste, and Schrein.
sackerlot, interjection, ‘zounds!’ late Modern High German, remodelled from French sacré nom de Dieu; also corrupted into sapperlot. ​Sackerment (sapperment), from sacramentum, signifies ‘body of Christ.’
säen, verb, ‘to sow (seed),’ from the equivalent Middle High German sœjen, sœn, Old High German sâen (from an originally sêjan); compare the equivalent Gothic saian, Old Icelandic sá, Anglo-Saxon sawan, English to sow, Danish zaaijen, Old Saxon sâjan. The Teutonic root sê, ‘to sow,’ of which Saat and Same are derivatives, is common to the Aryan group; compare the Latin root sê in sê-vi, sa-tum, sê-men (Latin sero is a reduplicated present for *si-so); Old Slovenian sěja (sěti), ‘to sow,’ Lithuanian sěja (sěti), ‘to sow.’
Safran, masculine, ‘saffron,’ from Middle High German safrân, masculine, which is derived from French safran (compare English saffron); compare Italian zafferano, the ultimate source of which is the equivalent Arabic zâfarân.
Saft, masculine, ‘sap, juice,’ from the equivalent Middle High German saft, usually saf, Old High German saf (genitive saffes), neuter; corresponding to Anglo-Saxon sœp, neuter, English sap, Dutch and Low German sap. Its connection with Latin sapio (Old High German sęven, sęppen, Middle High German sęben, ‘to observe’) and sapor is conceivable on account of Old Icelandic safe, ‘sap,’ provided that an Aryan root sap, sab (compare Sanscrit sadar, ‘nectar’) seems possible (on the other band, Greek ὀπός, ‘sap,’ and Old Slovenian sokŭ are not allied). The prevalent view that Anglo-Saxon sœp and Old High German saf were borrowed from Latin săpa, ‘thick must,’ is unsatisfactory.
Sage, feminine, ‘legend, report,’ from Middle High German sage, Old High German saga, feminine, ‘speech, declaration, tale, rumour’; an abstract from sagen, like Anglo-Saxon saga, feminine, from sęcgan; English saw,
sagen, verb, ‘to say, tell, utter,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sagen, Old High German sagên; corresponding to Old Saxon sęggian, Low German seggen, Dutch zeggen, Anglo-Saxon sęcgan (from *sagjan). English to say, and its equivalent Old Icelandic segja. In Gothic both *sagan and every other derivative from the same root are wanting. Teutonic sagai-, which comes by the rule of grammatical change from Aryan sokē̆y-, is closely allied to Lithuanian sakýti, ‘to say,’ Old Slovenian sočiti, ‘to notify’; with this Old Latin insece, ‘I narrate’ (in-sectiones, ‘tales’), is usually connected, as well as the Greek root σεπ, σεκϝ in ἔννεπε for ἐν-σεπε, ἔ-σπ-ετε, ‘tell (thou or ye).’ Old Irish sagim, saigim, ‘I speak, say,’ also point to a similar class. In Romance only one loan-word of this class is found; compare Spanish sayon, ‘usher’ (of a law-court), literally ‘speaker.’
Säge, feminine, ‘saw,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sëge, sage, Old High German sëga, saga, feminine; compare Dutch zaag, Anglo-Saxon sage, feminine, and sagu, feminine, English saw; Old Icelandic sǫg, feminine (Gothic *saga, feminine, is wanting). A derivative of an Aryan root sek, sok, whence also Latin secâre, ‘to cut,’ securis, ‘hatchet’; see further under Sichel. The ä of Modern High German Säge is based, as is indicated by the modern Alemannian dialects, on ë; hence there is the same gradation in Old High German sëga and saga as in Old High German rëhho and Anglo-Saxon racu (see Rechen), or in High German Nacken and English neck. With the Aryan root sek, sok, are also connected in Teutonic, Old High German sahs, ‘sword’ (see Messer), English scythe, and Anglo-Saxon sîðe, from sigþe; compare Old Icelandic sigðr, masculine, ‘sickle,’ Old High German sëh, Middle High German sëch, ‘ploughshare,’ and the cognates of Sense.
Sahne, feminine, ‘cream,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German (Middle German and Low German) sane, feminine; compare Dutch zaan. The word originally also belonged probably to Upper German, as is indicated by the derivative Senne (for Sahne the Upper German and Middle German word Rahm is now used, in Swiss also nĭdel, and in other dialects Schmant). The origin of the cognates is obscure.
Saite, feminine, ‘string’ (of a musical instrument), from Middle High German seite, masculine and feminine, Old High German seita, feminine, seito, masculine, ‘string, cord, fetter’; compare Old High German seid, neuter, ‘cord, noose,’ Anglo-Saxon sâda, masculine, ‘cord, noose,’ derived by means of the Aryan suffix t from the Teutonic and Aryan root sai, by gradation sī̆, ‘to bind,’ which appears in Seil; compare further Old Icelandic seimr, masculine, ‘string’ (Gothic *sai-ma-), and síma, neuter, ‘string,’ Anglo-Saxon sîma, Old Saxon sī̆mo, masculine, ‘cord’; also Greek ὶ-μάς, ‘strap,’ and the Sanscrit root si, ‘to bind, fetter.’ The derivatives most closely allied to the Teutonic word are Old Slovenian sě-tĭ, feminine, ‘cord,’ and Lithuanian saítas, masculine, ‘cord.’ With regard to the Pre-Teutonic root sī̆, see further under Seil.
-sal, in Mühsal, see selig.
Salamander, masculine, ‘salamander,’ from the equivalent Middle High German salamander, masculine and feminine; the origin of the meaning ‘toast’ (drunk in special honour of a guest at students' clubs), which first became current between 1830 and 1840, is very much disputed.
Salat, masculine, ‘salad,’ late Middle High German salât, masculine, from the equivalent Italian salata, insalata.
Salbader, masculine, ‘idle talker, quack, Modern High German only (the earliest reference is in the Epistolæ Obscurorum Virorum); its origin is wrongly attributed to the owner of a bathing establishment (ein Bader) at Jena, who bored his guests with his stale stories. Others prefer to connect it with salvator, ‘saviour,’ so that salbadern would ​mean ‘to have the name salvator on one's lips, and nothing more,’ an equally improbable explanation.
Salbe, feminine, ‘salve,’ from the equivalent Middle High German salbe, Old High German salba, feminine; a common Teutonic term; compare Old Saxon salƀa, Dutch zalf, Anglo-Saxon sealf, English salve (Gothic *salba, feminine, may be inferred from salbôn, ‘to anoint’). The Teutonic salbô-, from pre-Teutonic solpã-, is entirely unrelated to Greek ἀλείφω; Greek ἕλπος, ‘oil,’ ἔλφος, ‘butter,’ ὄλπη, ‘oil-flask,’ Sanscrit sarpís, neuter, ‘grease,’ are more probably allied to Salbe.
Salbei, masculine, ‘sage,’ from Middle High German salbeie, salveie, Old High German salbeia, salveia, feminine, from Middle Latin salvegia, a variant of Latin and Romance salvia (French sauge, whence English sage).
Salbuch, neuter, ‘register of the survey of lands,’ from Middle High German sal-buoch, neuter, ‘register of lands belonging to the community, a record of receipts and donations,’ from Middle High German sal, feminine, ‘legal assignment of an estate,’ which, with Middle High German sal, masculine, ‘legacy,’ is connected with Old High German sęllen, Anglo-Saxon sęllan, ‘to surrender.’ The corresponding English verb to sell has acquired a different shade of meaning.
Salm, Salmen, masculine, ‘salmon,’ from Middle High German salme, Old High German salmo, masculine, from the equivalent Latin salmo.
Salweide, feminine, ‘sallow, round-leaved willow’; allied to Middle High German salhe, feminine, Old High German salaha (Gothic *salhô), feminine, ‘willow’; the second part of the Modern High German compound serves as. an explanation of the old term, which is undoubtedly of genuine Teutonic origin; compare Old Icelandic selja, feminine (Gothic *salhjô), and Anglo-Saxon sealh, English sallow. Primit. allied to Greek ἑλίκῇ (Arcad.), Latin sălix (accusative salicem), ‘willow’; French saule is based not on the Latin, but on the High German word.
Salz, neuter, ‘salt,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German salz, neuter; corresponding to the equivalent Gothic salt, Anglo-Saxon sealt, neuter, English salt, Dutch zout, Old Saxon salt (also an adjective Old Icelandic saltr, Anglo-Saxon sealt, ‘salty, saline’). The specifically Teutonic form sal-ta- (whence Lappish saltte) is of course related to Latin sal, Greek ἅλς; compare further Old Slovenian solĭ, Lettic sâls, Old Irish salann, ‘salt.’ The lengthened pre-Teutonic root sald appears also in Latin sallere, ‘to salt,’ with the assimilation of ld to ll; in Lithuanian the corresponding adjective saldùs has the remarkable signification ‘sweet’ (Lithuanian druskà, ‘salt,’ is connected with Lettic druska, ‘crumb.’ Among the Eastern Aryans a cognate term is wanting, the word salt, curiously enough, not being intentioned in the Rig-Veda. Perhaps the Western Aryans, in their migration, got their knowledge of the mineral from a civilised tribe that has also exercised an influence on European languages in other instances (compare Silber). That a graded form could be constructed from even a foreign term admits of no doubt (see Sülze). Perhaps the divergence between Teutonic salta- and Greek Latin sal- is due to differences anterior to the period in which the word was borrowed.
-sam, see langsam.
Same, masculine, ‘seed, semen, spawn,’ from Middle High German sâme, Old High German and Old Saxon sâmo, masculine, ‘grain of seed, seed, descendants, field, soil’; a derivative of the root sê, ‘to sow,’ contained in Saat and säen. Corresponding to Latin sêmen, Old Slovenian sěmę, ‘seed,’ Lithuanian sėmů, ‘seed’; an Aryan neuter sê-mn-, with a suffix men, is implied; the same suffix appears in Keim and Blume. A different derivation is indicated by Old Irish síl and Lithuanian sėklà, ‘seed’ (primary form sêtla}.
Sämischleder, neuter, Modern High German only, corresponding to the equivalent English chamois leather (also shammy), French peaux chamoisees; of obscure origin, perhaps from Russian zamša, ‘wash-leather.’
sammeln, verb, ‘to collect, gather,’ from the equivalent Middle High German samelen, properly with a n- suffix, samenen, Old High German samanôn; corresponding to Old Saxon samnôn, Dutch zamelen, Anglo-Saxon samnian, Old Icelandic samna, ‘to collect’; a derivative of the Old German adverb saman. Primit. allied to Sanscrit samanâ, ‘together.’ See zusammen and gesamt.
Samstag, masculine, ‘Saturday,’ properly a Upper German and Rhenish word (in Middle German and Low German Sonnabend), from Middle High German samȥtac, sampstac, Old High German sambaȥtac. In Dutch zaterday, Low German sâterdach, Anglo-Saxon sœternesdœg, English Saturday, which, like the equivalent Old Irish dia sathairnn and Albanian šëtúne, are based on Latin Saturni dies, unknown to Romance; in Old Icelandic laugardagr, þváttdagr (literally ‘bathing day’). From the ecclesiastical Latin sabbati dies (whence French samedi, Italian sabbato, Provençal dissapte, and Irish sapait), Old High German sambaȥ-tac, Modern High German Samstag cannot be derived, for such a derivation does not explain the High German nasal; nor can the t of an ecclesiastical Latin word be changed to ȥ. Since Old Slovenian sąbota, Magy. szombat, and Rouman. sămbătă are the most closely allied to Old High German sambaȥ-, we may perhaps assume that it is of Eastern origin, which supposition is supported by ​the fact that Bavarian pfinz-tac, ‘Thursday,’ is borrowed from Greek πέμπτη (see Pfinztag). Although Greek *σαμβατον, a parallel form of σάββατον, has not yet been discovered, we may infer its existence from Persian šamba almost with certainty; the corresponding Arabic, Ethiop., and Abyss. words have also a medial mb. It is manifest that an Oriental term, sambato, of the 5th century was introduced into Upper German and Slavonic through Greek (along with Arianism, see Kirche and Pfaffe); yet it is strange that Ulfilas uses sabbatô dags without any nasal (compare Gothic aíkklêsjô with West-Teutonic kirika, from κυριακόν).
Samt, masculine, ‘velvet,’ from the equivalent Middle High German samît, samâdt, masculine; borrowed in the Middle High German period from Romance; compare Middle Latin samîtum, Italian sciamito, Old French samit. The ultimate source is Middle Latin examîtum, Modern Greek ἐξάμιτον, ‘a stuff made of six twisted threads’ (Greek μὲτος, ‘thread’), whence also Old Slovenian aksamitŭ, ‘velvet.’ Spanish and Portuguese terciopelo, ‘velvet,’ literally ‘consisting of triple threads,’ is similarly formed.
samt, preposition adverb, ‘together with,’ from Middle High German samt, earlier sament, Old High German samant, adverb ‘together,’ also a preposition with dative ‘together with.’ See zusammen and sammeln.
Sand, masculine, ‘sand,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sant (genitive sandes), Old High German sant (genitive -tes), masculine; corresponding to the equivalent Old Saxon sand, masculine and neuter, Dutch zand, Anglo-Saxon sǫnd, neuter, English sand, Old Icelandic sandr, masculine (Gothic *sanda-, masculine and neuter, is by chance not recorded). They represent pre-Teutonic samdho-, samadho- (in Teutonic m before d is changed into n; see Rand, Hundert, and Schande); compare Greek ἄμαθος, ‘sand.’ The equivalent Bavarian and Tyrolean samp (Middle High German sampt), from Old High German *samat, corresponds exactly to the Greek word; compare further English dialectic samel, ‘sandy soil,’ with Latin sabulum, from *samulum?.
Sandel, masculine, ‘sandal-wood,’ Modern High German only, from Italian sandalo (French sandal), ‘an Indian dyeing wood’; “from Greek σάνταλον, which comes from Arabic zandal, but originally derived from Sanscrit candana. The tree grows in the East Indies, whence the wood was brought to the West as an article of commerce.”
sanft, adjective, ‘soft, gentle,’ from Middle High German sęnfte, adjective, sanfte, adverb, Old High German sęmfti, adjective, samfto, adverb, ‘softly’; corresponding to the equivalent Old Saxon sâfti, adjective, safto, adverb (compare sacht), Anglo-Saxon sêfte, adjective, sôfte, adverb, ‘softly’ (English soft); wanting in East Teutonic. Do the cognates belong to Gothic samjan, ‘to please’? (compare Ranft, from the root ram). Derivative Sänfte.
Sang, masculine, ‘song,’ from Middle High German sanc (genitive -ges), Old High German sang, masculine, ‘singing, song’; see singen,
sapperlot, see sackerlot.
Sardelle, feminine, ‘sardine,’ first occurs in Modern High German, from Italian sardella (Middle Latin sarda, properly ‘the Sardinian’), a variant of sardina.
Sarder, masculine, ‘sardel, sardine,’ from late Middle High German sarde, Middle High German usually sardîn, masculine, ‘a precious stone’; from Middle Latin sarda (Greek σάρδιον).
Sarg, masculine, ‘coffin,’ from Middle High German sarc (genitive sarkes) and sarch (genitive sarches), masculine, ‘coffin, vault, grave,’ also generally ‘shrine, receptacle,’ Old High German saruh, sarch, masculine, ‘sarcophagus, coffin’; compare Dutch zerk, ‘gravestone.’ Romance has a corresponding class in Modern French cercueil, ‘coffin,’ and its earlier cognates. The ordinary derivation from σαρκοφάγος, ‘sarcophagus,’ was repudiated as early as Lessing, because Sarg in Middle High German ‘signified in countless passages a receptacle generally, a water vessel, a trough, a shrine for idols or saints’; perhaps the Greek term has helped to determine the Modern High German meaning and the spelling of the word with g. As yet nothing definite has been discovered concerning this probably Teutonic word. It may be connected with Old Icelandic serkr, ‘shirt,’ since the Aryan root serg in Lithuanian sérgėti (Old Slovenian strěgą, strěšti), ‘to watch over, guard,’ has a general signification (Sarg, ‘receptacle’).
satt, adjective, ‘sated, satiated,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German sat (genitive sates), adjective; corresponding to the equivalent Old Saxon sad, Anglo-Saxon sœd, ‘sated’ (English sad), Old Icelandic saðr (saddr), Gothic saþs, ‘sated.’ A Teutonic participle, in -da- (see laut and falt) connected with an Aryan root sā̆, ‘to satiate,’ from whose long vowel form Gothic sô-þjan, ‘to satisfy,’ and sô-þs, ‘repletion,’ are constructed. Compare Latin sat, satis, satur; Lithuanian sōtas, masculine, ‘repletion,’ sōtus, ‘satiating, easily satiated’; Greek ἄμεναι (ā), ‘to satiate,’ ἄ-ατος, ‘insatiable,’ and ἄ-δην, ‘sufficiently’; Old Irish sathach, ‘sated,’ súsaim, ‘to sate, satiate,’ sáith, ‘repletion’ (Old Slovenian sytŭ, ‘sated,’ is, on account of its vowel, not allied). The meaning of English sad is curiously developed from the idea expressed by satt.
Satte, Sette, feminine, ‘bowl, porringer, ​milk-pan,’ Modern High German only, from Low German satte, sętte, a derivative of sitten, ‘to sit’; the milk is kept in Satten, so that the cream may set. Old High German satta, ‘basket, provision basket,’ which became obsolete as early as the beginning of the Middle High German period, does not appear to be allied.
Sattel, masculine, ‘saddle,’ from the equivalent Middle High German satel, Old High German satal, satul, masculine; corresponding to Dutch zadel, Anglo-Saxon sadol, English saddle, Old Icelandic sǫðull, masculine; Gothic *saduls is by chance not recorded. The assumption that the word is borrowed from Latin sedîle is not supported either by the sound or the meaning. The common Old Teutonic *sadula- cannot, however, be primitively allied to sitzen (Teutonic root set). Perhaps the word was anciently borrowed from another Aryan tongue, which could probably form sadula- from the root sed, ‘to sit’ (compare Reich); compare Slavonic sedlo (sedĭlo), ‘saddle.’
Saturei, feminine, ‘savory’ (bot.), from the equivalent Middle High German satereie; compare Italian satureja, French sarriette, Middle Latin saturêja.
Satz, masculine, ‘sediment; sentence; set; wager,’ from Middle High German saz (genitive satzes), masculine; a graded form of sitzen, signifying in Middle High German ‘place where something lies or is put, position, situation, mandate, law, purpose,’ &c.
Sau, feminine, ‘sow, hog,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German sû, feminine; corresponding to Anglo-Saxon sû, English sow, Old Icelandic sýr, ‘sow.’ Dutch zog, zeug, ‘sow,’ belong further, like Anglo-Saxon sŭgu (Gothic *sugus), and Suabian, Middle Low German, and Middle English suge, to Old Teutonic sû, whence also Schwein (Gothic swein, neuter) is derived. The term sû, ‘pig,’ is essentially West Aryan; compare Latin sû-s, Greek ὗ-ς, σῦ-ς, to which Zend hu, ‘boar,’ is allied; for further references see under Schwein. The root is Sanscrit su, ‘to bring forth’ (compare Sohn), so that the ‘sow’ was probably named from its fecundity; others regard sû as an imitation of the grunting of the pig, because in Sanscrit the animal is termed sûkara, literally ‘sû maker.’ Sau, in its prov. sense, ‘ace’ (of cards), seems, like Hund, to have been an old technical term in dice-playing, yet early references are wanting.
sauber, adjective, ‘neat, clean, nice, pretty,’ from Middle High German sûber, sûver, ‘neat, clean, pretty,’ Old High German sûbar, sûbiri; Old Saxon *sûƀri, Dutch zuiver, Anglo-Saxon sŷfre, ‘clean, purified, spotless’; Gothic *sûbri- is wanting. Since the agreement of the OWest Teutonic dialects proves the early existence of the Teutonic word, the assumption that it was borrowed from Latin sobrius or Greek σῦφαρ cannot be maintained.
sauer, adjective, ‘sour, acid, bitter,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German sûr, adjective; corresponding to Dutch zuur, Middle Low German and Anglo-Saxon sûr, English sour, Old Icelandic súrr; Gothic sûrais by chance not recorded. Pre-Teutonic *sûró-s is further attested by Old Slovenian syrŭ, ‘raw,’ and Lithuanian sū́ras, ‘salty.’ Perhaps Greek ξὺρός, ‘sour’ (in Hesych.), and the root ἕυ, ‘to scrape, scratch,’ are also allied; in that case sauer would mean ‘scratching.’ From Teutonic is derived French sur, ‘sour.’
saufen, verb, ‘to drink’ (of beasts), from Middle High German sûfen, Old High German sûfan, ‘to sip, lap, drink’; Middle Low German sûpen, Anglo-Saxon sûpan, and Old Icelandic súpa have the same sense; compare further Dutch zuipen, ‘to drink,’ English to sup (the verb to sip seems to be connected with Gothic *sŭpjan). For the Teutonic root sū̆p, which has not yet been found in other groups, see Soff and Suppe; compare further seufzen.
saugen, verb, ‘to suck, absorb,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sûgen, Old High German sûgan; Dutch zuigen, Middle Low German sûgen, Anglo-Saxon sûgan (also sûcan, English to suck), Old Icelandic súga have the same meaning; Gothic *sûgan, *sûkan are by chance not recorded. Teutonic root sū́g (sū̆k), from pre-Teutonic sū̆k (sū̆g); compare Latin sûgere, Lettic sūzu (sūkt), ‘to suck,’ Old Irish súgim (also Old Slovenian sŭsą, sŭsati, ‘I suck’?).
säugen, verb, ‘to suckle,’ from the equivalent Middle High German söugen, Old High German sougen, properly ‘to cause to suck’; a factitive of sûgan; see saugen. Gothic *saugjan is wanting.
Säule (1.) (Bavarian Saul), feminine, ‘pillar,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sûl (plural siule), Old High German sûl (plural sûli), feminine; compare Dutch zuil, Anglo-Saxon sŷl; Old Icelandic súla, ‘pillar’; also, with gradation, Gothic sauls, feminine, ‘pillar.’ Perhaps Schwelle is primitively allied.
Säule (2.), feminine, ‘awl,’ from Middle High German siule, Old High German siula, feminine, ‘awl, punch’ (Gothic *siwila, feminine); connected with the Aryan root sī̆w, “the primitively word for leather-work” (see Ahle). Compare Gothic sinjan, Old High German siuwan, Anglo-Saxon seówian, English to sew; also Latin suo, ‘I sew,’ sutor, ‘cobbler,’ Greek κασ-σύω, ‘to patch, stitch,’ Sanscrit root sîw, ‘to sew,’ Old Slovenian ši-ti, ‘to sew.’ In a sense corresponding to that of Middle High German siule we find Latin subula and Old Slovenian šilo, which are formed from the same root. Compare the following word.
Saum (1.), masculine, ‘border,’ from Middle High German and Old High German soum, masculine, ‘sewn edge of a ​garment, border’; corresponding to Dutch zoom, Anglo-Saxon seám, masculine, English seam, Old Frisian sâm, Old Icelandic saumr, masculine, ‘border, seam’ (Gothic *sauma- is by chance not recorded). A graded form of the Aryan root sû-, a variant of the root sī̆w, ‘to sew,’ discussed under Säule (2). Compare Sanscrit sûtra, ‘thread.’
Saum (2.), ‘load,’ from Middle High German and Old High German soum, masculine, ‘load of a beast of burden’ (also as a measure of weight), ‘beast of burden’; corresponding to Anglo-Saxon seám, ‘horse-load,’ English seam. Borrowed prior to the Old High German period, probably even before the Anglo-Saxon migration, from Low Latin sauma (σάγμα), ‘pack-saddle,’ whence also Italian salma, French somme. —
Säumer, ‘beast of burden, driver of sumpter-beasts,’ from Middle High German soumœre, Old High German soumâri, ‘beast of burden,’ Anglo-Saxon seámere; formed from Middle Latin sagmarius. —
Saumsattel, ‘pack-saddle,’ Middle High German soumsatel, Anglo-Saxon seámsadol.
säumen, verb, ‘to linger,’ from Middle High German sûmen, ‘to stay, defer, loiter, linger’; Old High German only virsûmen (Middle High German versûmen), ‘to let slip,’ and ar-sûmen, ‘to omit.’ The history of the word is very obscure, because it is peculiar to German, and appears only in a compound form in Old High German. The great antiquity of the compound is attested by Middle High German frá-sûme, masculine, ‘delay,’ which points to Gothic *frá-sûma, masculine; we should have expected Middle High German versûme. Probably the meaning, which properly belongs only to the compound, has been transferred to the simple form. —
Saumsal, ‘procrastinating disposition,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sûmesal, sûmesele, with the suffix -sal: hence Modern High German saumselig, Middle High German (Middle German) sûmeselic.
Saurach, masculine, ‘barberry, pepperidge bush,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sûrach, masculine. A derivative of sauer, Middle High German sûr.
Saus, masculine, ‘buzz, bluster,’ from Middle High German sûs, masculine, ‘drinking, blustering, revelling and rioting’; even in Middle High German occurs in dem sûse lëben, ‘to revel and riot,’ literally ‘noisy doings’; compare Old Icelandic sús, ‘roar of the surf.’ —
sausen, ‘to rage, bluster, buzz,’ from Middle High German sûsen (siusen), Old High German sûsôn, ‘to bluster, hum, hiss, creak, gnash’; derived from an Old Aryan root sûs (Old Slovenian sysati, ‘to whistle, bluster,’ Sanscrit root çuš, ‘to snort’). —
säuseln, verb, ‘to rustle, murmur,’ diminutive of Middle High German siusen, ‘to bluster.’
Schabe (1.), ‘mill-moth, cockroach,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schabe, feminine; Old High German *scaba, feminine, is by chance not recorded in this sense; compare Anglo-Saxon mœelsčęafa, ‘caterpillar.’ Derived, like the following word, from schaben.
Schabe (2.), feminine, ‘scraper, spokeshave,’ from Middle High German schabe, Old High German scaba, feminine, ‘spokeshave, plane.’ Compare Dutch schaaf, ‘plane,’ Anglo-Saxon sčęafa, English shave (knife for shaving, hoop-axe), Old Icelandic skafa, feminine, ‘spokeshave.’
schaben, verb, ‘to shave, scrape, scratch,’ from Middle High German schaben, Old High German scaban, ‘to scratch, erase, scrape,’ corresponding to Gothic skaban, ‘to shear’; Old Icelandic skafa, ‘to scratch, shave,’ Anglo-Saxon sčęafan, English to shave, Dutch schaven, ‘to shave, smooth.’ Teutonic root skab, from the pre-Teutonic root skā̆p; compare Greek σκάπ-τω, ‘to dig,’ σκαπάνη, ‘spade,’ Lithuanian skópti, ‘to hollow out,’ skáptas, ‘woodcarver's knife’; allied also probably to Latin scabo, ‘to scratch, shave,’ Old Slovenian skoblĭ, ‘spokeshave,’ Lithuanian skabùs, ‘sharp’ (Aryan root skā̆b). See the preceding words as well as Schuppe and Schaft.
Schabernack, masculine, ‘hoax, practical joke,’ from Middle High German schabernac, schavernac, masculine, ‘hoax, mockery, scorn,’ also chiefly ‘shaggy (literally neck-rubbing?) fur cap,’ and ‘a kind of strong wine.’ Allied to Old High German ir-scabarôn, ‘to scratch out, scrape together.’ It is uncertain whether the second part of the compound is connected with Modern High German Nacken or with the verb necken. The Middle High German word with its numerous senses may have also meant originally ‘prankish hobgoblin.’ Compare den Schelm im Nacken haben, ‘to be a sly dog’?.
schäbig, adjective, ‘shabby, sordid, scabby,’ from an earlier Modern High German Schabe, ‘scab, itch’; compare Middle High German sohębic, ‘scabby.’ Allied, like Anglo-Saxon sčęabb, English shab (shabby perhaps influenced the Modern High German meaning of schäbig), to schaben.
Schach, neuter, ‘chess,’ from Middle High German schâch, masculine and neuter, ‘king (at chess), chessboard, checkmating move’; the chessboard was usually termed schâch-zabel in Middle High German, zabel (even in Old High German zabal, ‘chess or draught board’), being changed by permutation from Latin tabula. Middle High German schâch was obtained through a Romance medium from Persian schâh, ‘king’; it is strange, therefore, that the High German word ends in ch in contrast to the Romance cc; compare Italian scacco, French échec. This must be ascribed to a fresh influence of the originally word.
Schächer masculine, ‘robber,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schâchœre, Old High German scâhhâri, masculine, connected with Middle High German schâch, Old High German scâh, masculine, ‘robbery, rapine'; compare Dutch schaak, ​‘rape, seduction,’ Old Frisian skâk, ‘booty, robbery,’ Anglo-Saxon sčeâcêre, ‘robber'; Gothic *skêka, ‘robbery,’ is wanting. The Teutonic cognates passed into Romance; compare Old French échec, ‘robbery.’ Other terms related to the Teutonic cognates are not found in the Aryan languages.
schachern, verb, ‘to chaffer, haggle,’ Modern High German only, allied to Hebrew suchar, ‘gain.’
Schacht (1.), masculine, ‘shaft’ (of a pit), from the equivalent Middle High German schaht, masculine; properly the Low German form of Schaft. See the following word.
Schacht (2.), masculine, ‘square rood,’ Modern High German only, from the equivalent Low German schacht, which is identical with High German Schaft. —
Schachtelhalm, masculine, ‘shave-grass,’ likewise from Low German, for the Middle High German equivalent term is schaftel, neuter, a diminutive of the Middle High German word for Schaft.
Schachtel, feminine, ‘box, bandbox,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German schahtel, feminine, which, with its equally late variant schatel, is borrowed from Italian scatola, ‘bandbox, box.’ The change of the simple t into cht in Middle High German and Modern High German has not yet been explained; compare, however, Middle High German schahtelân and schatelan for kastelân. — Schatulle is a recent loan-word with the same signification. Schachtel, ‘old woman,’ occurs even in late Middle High German, in which schahtel also means ‘feminal.’ The latter looks a Low German loan-word for High German schaftel, from Schaft.
Schade, neuter, ‘damage, harm, injury,’ from Middle High German schade, Old High German scado, masculine, ‘damage, destruction, disadvantage’; corresponding to the equivalent Dutch schade Old Icelandic skaðe, masculine. Further Old Icelandic skaðe, Old High German scado, Old Saxon scaðo, Anglo-Saxon sčęaþa, masculine, ‘robber, foe,’ allied to Gothic skaþjan, ‘to injure, act unjustly,’ Anglo-Saxon sčęþþan, ‘to injure,’ Old High German scadôn, Middle High German and Modern High German schaden. An Aryan root skā̆́th, corresponding to the Teutonic root skaþ, appears in Greek ἀσκηθής, ‘unscathed.’
Schädel, masculine, ‘skull,’ from Middle High German schědel, masculine, ‘skull,’ and also ‘a dry measure’; ullied to Dutch schedel, masculine; unknown to the other Old Teutonic dialects (in Old High German gëbal, ‘skull,’ like Greek κεφαλή; see Giebel). Its connection with Scheitel is conceivable.
Schaf, neuter, ‘sheep,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schâf, Old High German scâf, neuter; common to West Teutonic in the same sense; compare Old Saxon scâp, neuter, Dutch schaap, neuter, Anglo-Saxon sčęâp, neuter, English sheep; in Gothic lamb (see Lamm), Old Icelandic fœ́r, feminine, ‘sheep,’ whence Fœ́r-eyjar, ‘the Faroe Isles’ (literally ‘sheep isles’). Teutonic skêpo- (for *skêqo-) corresponds perhaps to Sanscrit châga, ‘he-goat.’ Yet Aryan owis, by inference from Latin ovis, Greek ὄϝις, Sanscrit ávis, and Lithuanian avìs (Old Slovenian ovĭca), was the oldest term which is preserved in Old Teutonic and a few Modern Teutonic dialects; compare Gothic awistr, ‘sheepfold,’ *aweiþi, ‘flock of sheep,’ Old High German ou, Old Low German ęwi, Anglo-Saxon eowu, and English ewe (to which to yean from ge-eánian is allied?). —
Schäfchen, in the phrase sein Schäfchen ins Trockene bringen, ‘to feather one's nest,’ is usually explained as a corruption of Low German schepken, ‘barque.’ Perhaps it is, however, an ironical application of a passage in the parable of the Good Shepherd.
Schaff, neuter, ‘vessel,’ Upper German; see Scheffel.
schaffen, verb, ‘to create, procure, obtain, bring,’ from Middle High German schaffen, Old High German scaffan, ‘to create, effect, arrange, do, make.’ Also in a similar sense Old High German scępfen, skęffen, Gothic gaskapjan, Anglo-Saxon sčyppan, Old Saxon scęppian and Gothic *skapôn, Old High German scaffôn, Middle High German schaffen. These imply a root skap peculiar to Teutonic, the connection of which with schaben is not quite certain; see also schöpfen. Old Teutonic had a number of substantival derivatives from the same root, such as Modern High German Schöpfung, Geschöpf, and English shape; see the following word and Schöffe.
Schaffner, masculine, ‘purveyor, steward, manager,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schaffenœre, masculine, of which the equivalent variant schaffœre occurs; allied to schaffen; see also Schöffe.
Schafott, neuter, ‘scaffold,’ Modern High German only, from French echafaut, earlier chafaut, through the medium of Dutch schavot?.
Schaft (1.), masculine, ‘shaft, handle, trunk, stalk,’ from Middle High German schaft, Old High German scaft, masculine, ‘shaft, spear, lance’; compare Old Saxon skaft, masculine, ‘spear,’ Dutch schacht, masculine, ‘quill, shaft of a lance,’ Anglo-Saxon sčęaft, English shaft, Old Icelandic skapt, neuter, ‘pole, spear’; Gothic *skafta- is by chance not recorded. These substantival cognates can scarcely be related to schaffen, they are connected rather with schaben (literally ‘that which has been scraped or made smooth’?). It is most closely allied to Greek σκῆπτρον, ‘staff,’ akin to Doric (Pindar) σκᾶπτον, σκήπων, ‘staff’; further Latin scâpus, ‘shaft’; hence Old Aryan skā̆p-, ‘shaft.’
Schaft (2.), masculine, ‘shelves, bookcase, Modern High German only; from Middle High German schaf, ‘vessel for containing liquids’?. For the latter see Scheffel.
Schakal, masculine, ‘jackal,’ Modern High German only, ​from Persian and Turk. schakal; through the medium of French chacal?.
schäkern, verb, ‘to jest, joke, play,’ late Modern High German (last century), from Jewish-Hebrew scheker, ‘lie.’
schal, adjective, ‘hollow, stale, flat,’ from Middle High German (rare) schal, adjective, ‘turbid,’ to which Middle High German verschaln and schaln, ‘to become dim’; compare Dutch verschalen, ‘to get flat or stale,’ English shallow. The term, the origin of which is obscure, is wanting in the Upper German dialects.
Schale, feminine, ‘shell, peel, scale, dish,’ from Middle High German schū̆l, schū̆le, Old High German scū̆la, feminine, ‘husk of fruit, egg-shell, &c., drinking cup’ (hence French écale, ‘egg-shell, nut-shell’). It is questionable whether the two different senses are evolved from the same word. It is at all events probable that one of the meanings was connected with a form containing ă (in the sense of ‘husk’), the other with a form containing â, just as North Frisian distinguishes skal (originally ă), ‘‘scale of animals,’ &c., from skeel (originally â, ê), ‘bowl.’ Compare Old Saxon scâla, feminine, ‘drinking cup,’ Anglo-Saxon sčeălu, ‘husk,’ English shale and (under Old Icelandic influence?) scale, Old Icelandic skál, feminine, ‘drinking cup, scale (of a balance).’ Akin to Gothic skalja, feminine, ‘tile’ (literally perhaps ‘shingle, similar to a scale’), Old Icelandic skel, feminine, Anglo-Saxon sčyll, feminine, English shell, Dutch schel, feminine, ‘shell, husk.’ The Gothic and Teutonic form skalja passed into Romance; compare Italian scalgia, French écaille, ‘scale, shell, crust.’ The Teutonic cognates are usually connected with an Aryan root skel, ‘to split’; compare Schelle, as well as Lithuanian skélti, ‘to split,’ Old Slovenian skolĭka, ‘mussel, shell-fish,’ Russian skala, ‘crust.’—
schälen, ‘to shell, scale, peel,’ Middle High German scheln, Old High German schellen, ‘to strip off, peel off’; allied to Schale.
Schalk, masculine, ‘rogue, knave,’ from Middle High German schalc, masculine, ‘servant, serf; person of servile character, especially cunning person,’ Old High German scalch, masculine, ‘servant’; corresponding to Gothic skalks, Old Icelandic skálkr, Anglo-Saxon sčealc, masculine, ‘retainer, man’ (so too the corresponding feminine sčylčen, ‘‘maid-servant’). The evolution in meaning is similar to that of Anglo-Saxon čyfes and wealh; see Kebse and welsch. Schalk passed at an early period into Italian, in which scalco signifies ‘head-cook.’ It is worthy of note that the meaning of the word is lifted into a higher plane in its transition from Middle High German to Modern High German; it is thus defined by Goethe, ‘one who plays a good-humoured practical joke.’
Schall, masculine, ‘loud sound, noise,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schal (genitive schalles), Old High German scal (ll), masculine; from this is derived Middle High German and Modern High German schallen, akin to Old High German scëllan, Middle High German schëllen, ‘to sound loudly, resound,’ Old Icelandic skjalla, ‘to rattle.’ From the Teutonic verb is derived the Romance term Italian squillare, ‘to ring, resound.’ See Schelle and Schilling.
Schalmei, feminine, ‘reed pipe, shepherd’s pipe,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schalemîe, feminine, which is again derived from the equivalent French chalumeau, or rather Burgundian and Wall. chalemie, Middle Latin scalmeia (akin to Latin calamus).
Schalotte, feminine, ‘shallot,’ formed from the equivalent French échalotte, from Middle Latin ascalonium, ‘onion from Ascalon (in Palestine),’ whence also Modern High German Aschlauch.
schalten, verb, ‘to go or push against the stream, direct, regulate,’ from Middle High German schalten, ‘to push, impel (especially a ship), set a-going, drive.’ Just as Latin gubernare came to mean ‘to direct, rule,’ so schalten acquired in Modern High German the sense of ‘to direct,’ Old High German scaltan,‘to push,’ Old Saxon skaldan, ‘to impel a ship’; a corresponding term is wanting in the other Teutonic dialects. Origin obscure. For derivatives see schelten. In Modern High German Schalter, ‘sash window,’ Middle High German schalter, schelter, ‘bolt,’ the primary meaning of schalten gleams through; so too in Schaltjahr, Middle High German and Old High German schalt-jâr, neuter, ‘intercalary year,’ so named because a day is inserted.
Schaluppe, f£., ‘sloop,’ Modern High German only, from the equivalent French chaloupe, which is derived from Dutch sloep, whence also the equivalent English sloop; the English variant shallop comes from French.
Scham, feminine, ‘shame, disgrace, bashfulness, pudenda,’ feminine, from Middle High German scham, Old High German scama, feminine, ‘sense of shame, confusion, infamy, disgrace (Middle High German), pudibunda.’ Compare Old Saxon skama, feminine, ‘confusion,’ Dutch schaam- (in compounds), Anglo-Saxon sčeǫmu, feminine, ‘shame, infamy, disgrace,’ English shame; Gothic *skama, feminine, may be inferred from skaman, ‘to be ashamed’ (Old High German scamên). The Aryan root skam, which also appears in Modern High German Schande, is connected with the Aryan root kam, ‘to cover oneself,’ preserved in Hemd (which see, as well as Leichnam) and in Gothic hamôn, so that Gothic sik skaman, ‘to be ashamed,’ would signify literally ‘to cover oneself.’
Schande, feminine, ‘disgrace, infamy,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schande, Old High German scanta, ​feminine; corresponding to the equivalent Gothic skanda, Anglo-Saxon sčęǫnd, Dutch schande, feminine; an abstract form from the root skam (see Scham), with the change of m into n before d, as in Rand. Compare further the participle in da- formed from the same root, Old High German scant (see laut, fatt, and zart); from this is derived Modern High German schänden, Middle High German schęnden, Old High German scęnten, ‘to dishonour, ravish.’
Schank, masculine, ‘retail, from late Middle High German *schanc, masculine, in wîn-schanc, masculine, ‘wine tavern’; the simple Middle High German word schanc signifies ‘vessel to pour from; present.’ Allied to schenken.
Schanker, masculine, ‘cancer, chancre,’ Modern High German only, formed from French chancre.
Schanze (1.), feminine, ‘chance, fortune’; compare etwas in die Schanze schlagen, ‘to hazard something.’ From Middle High German schanze, feminine, ‘throw at dice, lucky throw, game’; borrowed from the equivalent French and English chance (Middle Latin cadentia, ‘throwing of the dice,’ Italian cadenza, ‘fall’).
Schanze (2.), feminine, ‘redoubt, earthwork,’ from late Middle High German schanze, feminine, ‘bundle of faggots, redoubt’; akin to Dutch schans. Of obscure origin.
Schar (1.), see Pflugschar.
Schar (2.), feminine, ‘host, troop, crowd,’ from Middle High German schar, feminine, ‘division of an army, drawn up detachment of soldiers, knot of four or more men, crowd, heap,’ Old High German skara, feminine, ‘host.’ The meaning is not connected with scheren. Anglo-Saxon sčęalu, sčęolu (English shoal), ‘host,’ is abnormal. From Teutonic is derived the Romance word schiera, ‘host, troop, swarm.’ See Scherge.
Scharbe, feminine, ‘cormorant,’ from Middle High German scharbe, Old High German scarba, scarva, feminine, ‘diver, cormorant’; compare Old Icelandic skarfr, ‘pellicanus graculus’; Anglo-Saxon scrœf?.
Scharbock, masculine, ‘scurf, scurvy,’ early Modern High German, a corruption of Middle Latin scorbûtus. From the same source are derived the equivalent Dutch scheurbuik, English scurvy, Italian scorbuto, and French scorbut. The ultimate source of the cognates is Dutch scheurbuik, or rather its older forms with a dental in the suffix, as in scorbutus (Dutch scheur, ‘rift, cleft,’ but, ‘bone’); Modern Dutch scheurbuik is also very probably a corruption, the word being connected with buik, ‘belly.’
scharf, adjective, ‘sharp, acrid, acute,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German scharf, scharpf; in the same sense occur the corresponding forms Old Saxon scarp, Dutch scherp, Anglo-Saxon sčearp, English sharp, Old Icelandic skarpr; Gothic *skarpa- is by chance not recorded. In the sense of ‘sharp, cutting,’ the following are also allied: — Old High German scrëvôn, ‘to cut in,’ Old High German scarbôn, Middle High German and Modern High German scharben, ‘to cut in pieces,’ as well as Anglo-Saxon sčeorfan, ‘to tear off’ (see schürfen), Middle High German schrapfe (Gothic *skrappô), ‘tool for scratching,’ English to scrape; yet the final labials present a difficulty. Old High German and Middle High German sarpf, as an equivalent variant of scharf, is abnormal, so too Old Icelandic snarpr, ‘sharp.’ From Teutonic are derived French escarper, ‘to cut steep down, escarp,’ escarpe, ‘slope,’ Italian scarpa, ‘slope; locksmith's chisel.’ In the non-Teutonic languages Greek ἅρπη, ‘sickle,’ Old Slovenian srŭpŭ, ‘sickle,’ are allied to Old High German sarf, though, of course, this does not explain the form scharf, Gothic *skarpa-, which is perhaps connected with the Teutonic root skrap (skrab, skrb), ‘to slit, cut in’ (see schröpfen).
Scharlach, masculine, ‘scarlet,’ from the equivalent Middle High German scharlach, scharlachen, neuter, which is, as is shown by Dutch scharlaken, a corruption of Middle High German scharlât, the word being thus connected with Laken (Middle High German lachen, ‘cloth’); scharlât (compare English scarlet, Middle English scarlat) is formed from Old French escarlate (Modern French écarlate), ‘scarlet stuff.’ Compare Middle Latin scarlatum, Italian scarlatto. The ultimate source of the word is Oriental; compare Persian sakirlât (Turk. iskerlet).
Scharlei, masculine, ‘sage’ (bot.), from Middle High German scharleie, feminine, ‘borrago, clary’; of uncertain origin, which the equivalent Italian schiarea, Middle Latin sclareia, scarleia, are not able to elucidate.
Scharmützel, neuter, ‘skirmish,’ from the equivalent Middle High German scharmützel, scharmutzel, masculine, which, like Dutch schermutseling, are derived from Italian scarmuccia (French escarmouche), ‘skirmish,’ which again comes from Italian schermire, ‘to fight.’ The ultimate origin of the word is Old High German and Middle High German schirmen, ‘to fight.’ Compare further English skirmish.
Schärpe, feminine, ‘scarf, sash,’ Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent French écharpe, of which the Old French form escharpe, ‘wallet hung round the neck of a pilgrim,’ is derived, like Italian sciarpa, ‘scarf, girdle,’ from late Old High German scharpe, ‘pocket.’ Note Bavarian Schärpfen.
Scharreisen, neuter, ‘scraper,’ from the equivalent Middle High German scherre, Old High German scërra, feminine, under the influence of scharren.
scharren, verb, ‘to scrape, scratch,’ from the equivalent Middle High German scharren, a graded form of the ​Middle High German verb schërren, Old High German scërran, whence Modern French déchirer, Old French eschirer, ‘to tear to pieces,’ is borrowed.
Scharte, feminine, ‘notch,’ from Middle High German scharte, feminine, ‘an opening or indentation made by cutting, hewing, or fracture; notch, wound’; compare Dutch schaard, ‘notch, potsherd.’ Allied to Middle High German schart, adjective, ‘hewn to pieces, full of notches, wounded,’ Old High German scart, Anglo-Saxon sceard, English sherd, Old Icelandic skarðr, which were originally da- (to-), participles of scheren. Middle High German scharte, Old High German scartîsan, ‘skillet, pan,’ must, like their Modern High German corresponding forms, be kept apart from these cognates on account of their meaning, since they are derived from skardhâ (not from skarta), as is proved by Old Slovenian skvrada, skrada, ‘skillet, pan, hearth.’
Scharteke, feminine, ‘worthless book, trash,’ Modern High German only; properly ‘waste book’; formed from Italian scartata, ‘refuse.’
scharwenzeln, verb, ‘to bow and scrape, be obsequious, fawn’; it is uncertain whether the word is derived from French servant, ‘servant.’
Schatten, masculine, ‘shade, shadow,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schate, masculine (rarely feminine), Old High German scato (genitive -awes), masculine; corresponding to Gothic skadus, Anglo-Saxon sčeadu, English shade, shadow, Dutch schaduw, Old Saxon skado, ‘shadow.’ Perhaps Greek σκότος, ‘darkness,’ is allied; Old Irish scáth, scáil, ‘shadow,’ are, however, more closely akin. For another Old Teutonic word for ‘shadow,’ see under schauen.
Schatz, masculine, ‘treasure, store; sweetheart,’ from Middle High German schaz (genitive -tzes), Old High German scaz, masculine; its chief senses down to the 13th century are ‘money, property, wealth,’ and only later ‘valuables stored up’; Old High German scaz, masculine, is only ‘money, a definite coin.’ Compare Gothic skatts, ‘coin, money,’ Old Icelandic skattr, ‘tax, tribute,’ Anglo-Saxon sčęatt, ‘a certain small coin, money, property,’ Old Frisian sket, ‘money, cattle,’ Old Saxon scat, ‘piece of money, property.’ The early history of the cognates is unfortunately too obscure; opinions are divided whether the Teutonic word shatta- is derived from Old Slovenian skotŭ, ‘cattle,’ or whether the latter comes from Teutonic. The variation in meaning, ‘cattle’ and ‘money,’ is analogous to Latin pecunia from pecus, English fee from Anglo-Saxon feoh, ‘cattle’ (see Vieh); in bartering, cattle played the part of money. Yet we cannot prove that the primary meaning of Old Teutonic *skatta-, ‘money, coin,’ is ‘cattle.’ On the other land, the assumption that the word is primitively allied to Greek σχέδη, ‘board, tablet,’ is certainly not satisfactory on account of the meanings of the Teutonic words.
Schaub, masculine, ‘bundle or truss of straw, sheaf,’ from Middle High German schoup (genitive -bes), masculine, ‘bundle, truss of straw, wisp of straw,’ Old High German scoub, masculine, ‘sheaf, truss of straw’; compare Dutch schoof, Anglo-Saxon sčeáf, English sheaf, Old Icelandic skauf, ‘sheaf’; allied to schieben. Hence Schaub is literally ‘what is gathered together’; akin further to Schober.
schaudern, verb, ‘to shudder, shiver,’ Modern High German only, from Low German schuddern; compare Dutch schudden, ‘to quake, tremble’; Middle English schudderen, English to shudder. Schütten is of a cognate stem, and, like the words of this class, is based on a Teutonic root skud, ‘to be shaken’; allied to Old High German scutisôn, ‘to shudder,’ scutisôd, ‘quaking, trembling.’ The assumption that Schauder is connected, like Schauer, with Middle High German schûr is not warranted, because the Middle High German word does not mean ‘shudder.’ See Schutt.
schauen, verb, ‘to look at, gaze,’ from Middle High German schouwen, Old High German scouwôn, ‘to see, look at, contemplate’; compare Old Saxon scauwôn, Dutch schouwen, Anglo-Saxon sceáwian, ‘to look at’ (whence English to show); Gothic *skaggwôn is wanting, to this usskawjan, ‘to restore to consciousness.’ From the root skau, skū̆, ‘to see’ (see schön), are also derived Gothic skuggwa, masculine, ‘mirror,’ Old High German scû-char, ‘mirror,’ further Old High German scûwo, Anglo-Saxon scûa, Old Icelandic skugge, masculine, ‘shadow’ (see Spiegel); also Old Icelandic skygna (Gothic *skuggwinôn), ‘to spy,’ skyn, neuter and feminine, ‘perceiving,’ skoða, ‘to spy.’ In the non-Teutonic languages, Sanscrit kavis, ‘sage, poet,’ Latin cavere, ‘to beware,’ Greek κοέω, ‘I mark,’ Old Slovenian čują, čuti, ‘to be sensible of, feel, perceive,’ are also connected with the root skū̆, skau, or rather kū̆, kau.
Schauer (1.), masculine, ‘penthouse, shed’; see Scheuer.
Schauer (2.), masculine, ‘shower,’ from Middle High German schûr, Old High German scâr, masculine, ‘storm, hail’; compare Old Saxon skûr, masculine, ‘weather, shower,’ Dutch schoer, ‘pouring rain,’ Anglo-Saxon sčûr, English shower, and the equivalent Old Icelandic skúr; Gothic only skura windis, ‘gale.’ Origin obscure.
Schaufel, feminine, ‘shovel,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schûvel, Old High German scûvala, feminine, pointing to Gothic *skûfla (skûbla). The forms of the other Teutonic languages point to Gothic *skŭbla, feminine; compare Dutch schoffel, feminine, ‘shovel,’ Anglo-Saxon sčęofl, feminine, English shovel. Allied to the root ​skûb (skûf?) in schieben; hence Schaufel is literally ‘a tool on which something is put to be thrown away.’ For the change of ŭ to û compare Sohn and laut.
Schaukel, feminine, ‘swing,’ Modern High German only, derived, however, under Low German influence, from Middle High German schoc (genitive -ckes), masculine, and schoke, feminine; compare Low German schuckel, feminine, ‘swing’; Middle High German schoc, Old High German scoc, ‘rocking motion’ (whence French choc, ‘shock’). In East Thuringian ‘swing’ is Schunkel, in Suabian Gautsche, in Swiss Gireitz, Gigereitze.
Schaum, masculine, ‘foam, froth, scum,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schûm, Old High German scûm, m,; corresponding; to Dutch schuim, Old Icelandic skúm, ‘foam’ (whence English scum). The other dialects have a different word; compare Anglo-Saxon fám, English foam, under Feim. It is questionable whether Latin spuma, ‘foam’ (with p for k, compare lupus with λύκος?), is connected with the Teutonic cognates. Schaum is usually connected with the root skû, ‘to cover,’ appearing in Scheuer; hence it means literally ‘covering, that which covers.’ From Teutonic are derived Italian schiuma, French écume, ‘foam.’
Schaute, see Schote.
scheckig, adjective, ‘dappled, spotted, pied,’ from Middle High German (rare) schëcke, ‘striped, spotted,’ to which are also allied Middle High German schëcken, ‘to make of various colours,’ schëckëht, ‘spotted,’ also Middle High German schëcke, ‘a closely-fitting striped coat,’ Anglo-Saxon sciccels, ‘coat.’ It is, on the other hand, assumed that the word is borrowed from French échec, ‘check’ (Italian a scacchi); compare English checky.
Scheebe, see Schieber.
scheel, adjective, ‘oblique, awry,’ from Middle High German schël, schëlch (genitive schëlhes, schëlwes), Old High German scëlah (genitive scëlhes, scëlawes), adjective, ‘awry, squinting, athwart, oblique, crooked’; compare Dutch scheel, Anglo-Saxon sčeolh, Old Icelandic skjalgr, ‘awry, squinting’ (Gothic *skilhwa-, or rather *skilwa-, *skilga-, is by chance not recorded). Pre-Teutonic *skelko-, skëlqo-, must be assumed; hence Greek σκολιός, ‘aslant, awry,’ is not quite adequate to explain phonetically the Teutonic forms; perhaps both the Teutonic and Greek terms are based on a root skel.
Scheffel, masculine, ‘bushel,’ from Middle High German schęffel, Old High German scęffil, masculine, ‘bushel, corn measure’; compare the equivalent Old Saxon scępil, Dutch schepel (see also Wispel). Allied to Old Saxon skap, neuter, ‘vessel, cask,’ Old High German scaf, Middle High German schaf (see Schaff), ‘vessel for holding liquids’; in Bavarian, šaffl, neuter, is a diminutive of the equivalent šaff. The assumption that the word was borrowed from Latin scaphium (Greek σκάφιον), ‘drinking vessel,’ is not satisfactory; Middle Latin scaphum, scapellus (Italian scaffale, ‘bookshelves’), are only imitations of the German words. Perhaps the terms are primitively German; compare also Old Icelandic skeppa, ‘bushel’; also the root skap, ‘to contain,’ under schöpfen.
Scheibe, feminine, ‘slice, pane, wafer,’ from Middle High German schîbe, Old High German scîba, feminine, ‘pane, ball, wheel’; corresponding to Old Low German scîva, ‘sphaera,’ Dutch schijf, ‘slice,’ Middle English schîve, ‘circle, slice’ (English shive, sheave), Icelandic skífa, feminine, ‘shaving, slice.’ Teutonic skîbô-, from pre-Teutonic skîpã-, is most closely related to Greek σκοῖπος, ‘potter's wheel,’ with which Greek σκΐπων, ‘staff,’ is usually connected. Modern High German Schiefer is scarcely allied.
Scheide, feminine, ‘sheath,’ from Middle High German scheide, Old High German sceida, feminine, ‘scabbard’; compare Old Saxon scéðia, feminine, Dutch scheede, feminine, Anglo-Saxon sčœ̂ð, feminine, English sheath, Old Icelandic skeiðer (plural), ‘sheath’; Gothic *skaiþi (from skaitî), feminine, ‘sheath,’ is wanting (the term used being fôdr, neuter, ‘sheath,’ see Futteral). Allied to scheiden, hence literally ‘separation, the separating covering’?. Modern High German Scheide, ‘separation, parting,’ is the same word; compare Middle High German scheide, feminine, ‘separation, severing, departure, distinction, boundary’; Old High German sceida.
scheiden, verb, ‘to separate, divide; depart,’ from Middle High German scheiden, Old High German sceidan, strong verb, ‘to separate, sever; decide, adjust, appoint.’ For the expected Gothic *skaiþan (compare Old Saxon skêðan, ‘to separate,’ Old Frisian skêtha) occurs skaidan with grammatical change; compare Anglo-Saxon sčęâdan, ‘to separate,’ whence English shed. The Teutonic root skaiþ, the dental form of which may be inferred from Modern High German Scheide, feminine, is based on Aryan skhait, of which skhaid and skhid are parallel forms; compare Greek σχίζω, ‘I split,’ σχίζα (see Scheit; Sanscrit chid, ‘to split,’ Latin scindo (also caedo?), Lithuanian skědżu, ‘I separate.’ See further gescheit and scheißen.
Schein, masculine, ‘shining, sheen, semblance, appearance,’ from Middle High German schîn, Old High German scîn, masculine, ‘lustre, shining, brightness, clearness,’ late Middle High German, also ‘evidence, testimony, appearance’; compare Old Saxon skîn, masculine, ‘lustre,’ Dutch schijn, Anglo-Saxon sčîn, ‘ghost.’ An abstract of scheinen, verb, from Middle High German schînen, Old High German scînan, ‘to glitter, appear; show oneself’; compare the equivalent Old Saxon scînan, Dutch schijnen, Anglo-Saxon sčînan, English to shine, Old Icelandic skína, Gothic skeinan. The Teutonic ​root skî, whence skînan, strong verb, is formed with a present suffix na-, appears with a suffix m in schimmern. Akin probably to Greek σκιὰ, ‘shadow,’ see Schemen; also Greek σκίρον, ‘parasol’?. See schier.
scheißen, verb, ‘to go to stool, excrete,’ from Middle High German schîȥen, Old High German scîȥan; corresponding to the equivalent Dutch schijten, Anglo-Saxon sčîtan, English to shit, Old Icelandic skíta. The common Teutonic root skī̆t, ‘to excrete,’ is probably connected with the Aryan skhī̆d, discussed under scheiden; its literally meaning is perhaps ‘to dissever’?. From the Teutonic cognates are derived Italian (dialectic) scito, ‘excrement,’ and Old French eschiter.
Scheit, neuter, ‘log, billet, fragment,’ from Middle High German schît, Old High German scît, neuter, ‘log of wood’; corresponding to the equivalent Old Frisian skîd, Anglo-Saxon sčîde, English shide, Old Icelandic skið. The root is the Aryan form skhait, skhī̆t, discussed under scheiden, the primary meaning of which, ‘to split,’ appears still in Modern High German Scheit; compare Greek σχίζα (from *ἔσχίδja), ‘splinter,’ Lithuanian skëdrà, Lettic skaida, ‘chip,’ from the root skhit (see scheiden). —
Scheiterhaufen, ‘funeral pile,’ Modern High German only, formed from Middle High German schîter, plural of schît. —
scheitern, ‘to go to pieces, be wrecked,’ Modern High German only, from Middle High German schît plural schîter.
Scheffel, masculine, ‘crown (of the head), vertex,’ from Middle High German scheitel, Old High German sceitila, feminine, ‘vertex, crown, parting of the hair from the crown to the forehead'; corresponding to Dutch (haar) scheel, Middle Low German schédel. Allied to scheiden; literally ‘part of the head where the hairs separate, i.e., where they are parted to either side.’ Akin to Anglo-Saxon sčęâda, ‘crown,’ English to shed.
Schellack, masculine, ‘shellac,’ Modern High German only, from the equivalent Low German and Dutch schellak; compare English shellac; literally ‘scale lac, lac thin like scales.’
Schelle, feminine, ‘small bell,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schëlle, Old High German schëlla, feminine; allied to Middle High German schëllen, Old High German scëllan, ‘to sound loudly, resound,’ to which Italian squilla, ‘little bell,’ is also akin. — Modern High German and Middle High German schellen, literally ‘to cause to resound,’ is the factitive form. Compare verschollen, ‘vanished,’ as a relic of the Middle High German strong verb.
Schellfisch, masculine, ‘codfish, haddock,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German and Dutch schelvisch; allied to Dutch schel, ‘shell,’ English shell; so called “because the cod lives chiefly on shellfish”?. See Schale.
Schellhengst, masculine, ‘stallion,’ an explanatory compound for the equivalent Middle High German schële, Old High German scëlo, masculine; see beschälen.
Schellkraut, neuter, ‘swallow-wort, celandine,’ from Middle High German shëlkrut, -wurz; probably an abbreviation and corruption of the equivalent Middle Latin chelidonia (ch pronounced as in the corresponding French chélidoine); compare Greek χελιδόνιον, ‘celandine.’
Schelm, masculine, ‘rogue, knave, villain,’ from Middle High German schęlme, masculine, ‘pest, plague; those who have fallen in battle,’ then, as an abusive term, ‘wretch, seducer,’ Old High German scalmo, scęlmo, ‘plague.’ In Middle Dutch and Middle Low German schelm has the old sense of ‘carrion, cadaver,’ so too in Bavarian. For the development of the meaning ‘rogue’ from ‘wretch,’ compare Schalf, which has also acquired a milder signification. From the Modern High German word are derived Dutch schelm and Icelandic skelmir, ‘rogue.’
schelten, verb, ‘to reprove, revile,’ from Middle High German schëlten, Old High German scëltan, strong verb, ‘to reprove, abuse, insult’; compare Middle Low German and Dutch schelden, Old Frisian skelda, ‘to reprove.’ Akin to the cognates discussed under schalten; ‘to push’ is the primary meaning of schelten.
Schemel, masculine, ‘stool, footstool,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schęmel, schamel (schâmel?), masculine; Old High German scamal (scâmal?), masculine, which, like Old Saxon fôtscamel, ‘footstool,’ and Anglo-Saxon sčęǫmul (especially fôt-sčęǫmul), masculine, is derived from Latin scamellum. Dutch schabel, ‘stool,’ as well as the equivalent Romance terms, French escabelle, escabeau, and Italian sgabello, is based on Latin scabellum; hence in Middle Rhenish Schawéll, Schabéll.
Schemen, masculine, ‘phantom,’ from Middle High German schëme, masculine, ‘shadow,’(Middle German) schime; compare Anglo-Saxon sčī̆ma, Old Saxon scī̆mo. Allied to the root skī̆, ‘to glitter,’ discussed under scheinen, with which Greek σκιά, ‘shadow,’ with the same evolution in meaning, is also connected; see Schimmer and Schönbartspiel.
Schenk, masculine, ‘publican, cupbearer,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schęnke, Old High German scęncho (Old Saxon scęnkio), masculine, ‘cupbearer.’ From Teutonic is derived French échanson (Old French eschançon, Middle Latin scancionem). —
schenken, verb, ‘to pour out for drinking, bestow, give,’ from Middle High German schęnken, ‘to pour in, give to drink, water, make a present of, give’; Old High German scęnchen, ‘to pour in, give to drink.’ The meaning ‘to give’ first appears in the post-classical times of Middle High German ‘To pour in, give to drink,’ is the primary meaning; it is characteristic of German that the sense ‘to ​give,’ could be developed from this (similarly Modern High German gefallen attests the importance of dice-playing in Teutonic life; compare also zechen). The primary meaning appears in Anglo-Saxon sčęnčan, Old Frisian skenka, Old Icelandic skenkja; from Teutonic is also formed Old French escancer, ‘to pour in.’ Gothic *skagkjan is wanting. Some etymologists regard the common Teutonic verb as a derivative of Anglo-Saxon sčęonc, sčę́onca, ‘shank,’ assuming that shanks were used as taps in the earliest times; hence schenken would mean literally ‘to put the tap in a cask.’ See the next word.
Schenkel, masculine, ‘thigh, shank,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schęnkel, masculine; compare Dutch schenkel; unknown to Old High German as well as to the other Old Teutonic dialects. A diminutive of Anglo-Saxon sčę́onca (see schenken), English shank, which is further connected with Modern High German Schinken; compare also Dutch schonk, ‘bones in meat,’ Swedish skånk, Danish skank.
schenken, see Schenk.
Scherbe, feminine, ‘fragment, sherd, flowerpot,’ from Middle High German schërbe, schirbe, Old High German scirbi, feminine and neuter, ‘sherd, fragment, earthenware pot’; compare Dutch scherf, feminine, ‘sherd’; a derivative of pre-Teutonic skerpo-; compare Old Slovenian črěpŭ, ‘sherd,’ Lettic schkirpta, ‘notch,’ schkérpele, ‘splinter of wood.’ Akin to Scherflein?.
Schere (1.), feminine, ‘scissors, shears,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schœre, feminine, which is probably plural, Old High German scârî, plural of skar and skâra, ‘shears’; with regard to the plural compare Italian cesoje and forbici, plural, French ciseaux, equivalent to English scissors. In Sanscrit the word was of course dual; compare bhuríjâ (Rig-Veda), dual ‘shears.’ Compare Dutch schaar, Middle English schêre, English shears (plural), and the equivalent Old Icelandic skœ́re, neuter plural. See scheren.
Schere (2.), feminine, ‘rock, reef,’ Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent Swedish skär (Danish skjœr), neuter; compare Old Icelandic sker, ‘cliff.’
scheren, verb, ‘to shear, fleece, molest,’ from Middle High German schërn, Old High German scëran, ‘to shear, cut off’; compare Dutch scheren, Anglo-Saxon sčëran, ‘to shear, cut or hew to pieces,’ English to shear, Old Icelandic skera, ‘to cut, shear, slaughter.’ The primary meaning of the root sker contained in these verbs is ‘to cut or hew to pieces’ (compare Lithuanian skírti, ‘to sever,’ skarà, ‘rag’), as is shown by the Old Teutonic skarda-, ‘hewn or cut to pieces,’ which originated in skṛ-tó- (see Scharte). Yet the meaning ‘to shear’ is very old; compare the derivative Schere. The root sker (whence Sanscrit kšurás, ‘razor’?) appears in Greek as ker in κείρω, ‘I shear.’
Scherflein, neuter, ‘mite’ (coin), from the Middle High German schërf, Old High German scërf, neuter, ‘mite, very small coin’; compare Middle Low German scharf, schërf, ‘one-seventeenth of a penny’; allied to Anglo-Saxon sčeorfan, ‘to tear off’?. Compare for a similar development of meaning Modern High German Deut, as well as Greek κέρμα, literally ‘part cut off,’ then ‘small coin.’ Scherbe is scarcely allied.
Scherge, masculine, ‘beadle, sergeant,’ from Middle High German schęrge, schęrje, masculine (for the change of rg to rj, Modern High German rg, see Ferge ‘usher (of a court), bailiff, beadle’ Old High German scęrjo, scario, scaro, ‘captain, leader of a troop’; a derivative of Schar.
Scherz, masculine, ‘joke, jest,’ from Middle High German schërz, masculine, ‘pleasure, play’; allied to Modern High German scherzen, verb, from Middle High German schërzen, ‘to cut capers, hop, amuse oneself’; compare Middle High German scharz, ‘leap.’ These cognates, which are found neither in the Middle High German classical writers, in Old High German, nor in Old Teutonic generally, are met with, however, in Italian scherzare, ‘to jest,’ borrowed from German.
Scheu, feminine, ‘shyness, reserve, timidity,’ from Middle High German schiuhe, feminine, ‘shyness, horror,’ also ‘bugbear, scarecrow,’ whence Modern High German Scheuche. Allied to scheuen, scheuchen, verb, from Middle High German schiahen, ‘to be shy of, avoid, scare or chase away,’ Old High German sciuhen. Both the noun and verb are derivatives of Middle High German schiech, Old High German *scioh, ‘shy, bashful.’ Modern High German scheu, adjective, is based anew on the verb; compare Anglo-Saxon sčeóh, ‘timid,’ to which English shy is allied; Dutch schuw, ‘timid, shy.’ From the German cognates Italian schivare, ‘to avoid,’ is derived. See Scheusal.
Scheuer, feminine (in Bavarian and East Suabian Stadel), ‘barn, shed,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schiure, Old High German sciura, feminine; a derivative of Old High German scûr, Middle High German schûr, ‘penthouse, protection,’ Modern High German (dialectic) Schauer. Compare Old Icelandic skjól, neuter, ‘place of refuge, shelter,’ skaunn, masculine, ‘shield.’ The Aryan root, skū̆, ‘to cover, protect’ (compare Schaum), contained in these words, is widely diffused; compare Latin scûtum, ‘shield,’ Greek σκῦ-λον, ‘armour,’ Latin ob-scûr-rus, ‘dark’ (covered), and the Sanscrit root sku ‘to cover.’ See Scheune and Schote.
scheuern, verb ‘to scour, rub,’ early Modern High German (unknown to Upper German, the term used being fegen), formed from Middle German and Low German schüren; compare Dutch schuren (Middle English scouren, English to scour, borrowed from Dutch?), Danish skure, Swedish skura. Although the ​word is wanting iu the Old Teutonic dialects, it need not be regarded as borrowed from Middle Latin scurare (Latin ex-curare), Italian scurare, French écurer, ‘to scour.’
Scheune, feminine (unknown to Upper German), ‘barn, shed,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schiune, feminine, which is derived by the loss of the g (equal to j?) from Old High German scugin, scugina, ‘barn.’ If the g is equal to j, Scheuer (Middle High German schiure) is closely allied. If this is not the case, No certain connecting link has been discovered.
Scheusal, neuter, ‘object of horror, monster,’ a derivative of scheu, like late Middle High German schûsel, ‘monster, scarecrow.’ To this is allied Modern High German scheußlich, corrupted from Middle High German schiuzlich, ‘shy, despairing,’ which is connected with schiuzen, ‘to feel horror,’ from *schiuhezen (allied to scheuen, Middle High German schiuhen).
Schicht. feminine, ‘layer, stratum, day's work,’ from Middle High German schiht, feminine, ‘history, affair, accident, arrangement, division, row of things laid on one another, layer, beds of soil, day's work (in mines)’; allied to (ge)schehen; see Geschichte.
schicken, verb, ‘to bring about, send, despatch,’ from Middle High German schicken, ‘to bring about, do, create, prepare, set going, depute, send.’ This verb, undoubtedly a primitive form, which is wanting in Old High German and the Old Teutonic dialects generally, seems, like Gothic skêwjan and Old Icelandic skœ́va, ‘to go,’ to be connected with a primitively Teutonic root skē̆hw (skē̆w) from pre-Teutonic skē̆q (to which Old Irish scuchim, ‘I go away,’ from skok? is allied). Akin to late Middle High German schic, masculine, ‘method,’ and shicklich, which first occurs in Modern High German; see geschickt. These specifically German cognates, which passed into Dutch, Frisian, and Scandinavian, are wanting in Old High German until the 12th century; on account of their formation, however, they must be very old; Old High German *scicchen, Gothic *skikkjan. Allied to (ge)schehen. Derivative Schicksal.
Schicksel, neuter, ‘young girl,’ Modern High German only, formed from Hebrew and Jewish schickzah, ‘Christian girl,’ Hebrew schikkûz, literally ‘abomination.’
schieben, verb, ‘to shove, push,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schieben, Old High German scioban; compare Gothic af-skiuban, ‘to thrust away,’ Old Icelandic skúfa, skýfa, ‘to push,’ Anglo-Saxon sčûfan, ‘to shove, push,’ English to shove. The root skū̆b, ‘to shove’ (from pre-Teutonic skū̆p), which appears also in Schaufel, Schober, and Schüppe, corresponds to the Sanscrit root chup, ‘to touch,’ with which Lithuanian skubrùs, skubùs, ‘quick,’ and skùbti, ‘to make haste’ (Aryan rout skub), and Old Slovenian skubąti, ‘to pluck,’ are also probably allied. See Schupf.
Schiedsrichter, masculine, ‘arbiter,’ Modern High German only, in Middle High German schideman; allied to Middle High German schit (genitive schides), ‘judicial decision,’ akin to Old High German scidôn, ‘to separate, distinguish, decide.’ The Teutonic root skiþ is connected with scheiden.
schief, adjective, ‘oblique, awry. sloping,’ a Middle German and Low German word; Middle High German and Middle German schief, ‘awry, distorted’; cognate with Anglo-Saxon sčâb, Old Icelandic skeifr, ‘awry,’ North Frisian skiaf, Dutch scheef, ‘awry’ (whence English skew is borrowed), Schmalkald. šeip. High German dialects also imply a Middle High German schëp (pp), ‘awry’; Hessian and Franconian šëp, Suabian šeps. Besides these primitively Teutonic cognates skibb, skaib (whence Lettic schkîbs, ‘awry,’ is borrowed), Upper German has skieg, which is represented by Middle High German ‘schiec, ‘awry,’ Bavarian and Alemannian šiegen, šieggen, ‘to waddle’ (respecting the ie see Stiege and Wiege). They are all connected, like Greek σκίμπτω, ‘to bend,’ with an Aryan root skī̆q, skaiq.
Schiefer, masculine, ‘slate, shist,’ from Middle High German schiver, schivere, masculine, ‘splinter of stone, and especially of wood,’ Old High German scivaro, ‘splinter of stone’; the modern meaning is Modern High German only (in Upper German the primary meaning ‘stone splinter’ has been preserved). Gothic *skifra, masculine, is wanting. Allied to Modern High German Schebe, feminine, ‘chaff, boon’ (of flax or hemp), which is derived from Low German; compare English shive (Anglo-Saxon *sčîfa); Middle English schivere (Anglo-Saxon *sčifera), English shiver. These are derivatives of a Teutonic root skī̆f, ‘to divide, distribute’; compare Anglo-Saxon sčiftan, ‘to divide,’ English to shift, Old Icelandic skipta, ‘to divide’ (Old Icelandic scífa, ‘to cut in pieces'; allied to Scheibe? or to this word?), Dutch schiften, ‘to separate, sever.’ Schiefer and Schebe are literally ‘fragment, participle’
schielen, verb, ‘to squint, leer,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schilen, schilhen, allied to schel.
Schienbein, neuter, ‘shin-bone,’ from Middle High German schinebein, neuter, allied to Middle High German schine, Old High German scina, feminine, ‘shin-bone’; compare Anglo-Saxon sčinu, feminine, English shin (also Anglo-Saxon sčinebân, Middle English schinebône); Dutch scheen and scheenbeen, ‘shin-bone.’ Bein in this compound has preserved its older meaning of ‘bone’; see Bein. Scarcely allied to Schiene and Schinken, for the secondary meaning of Modern High German Schiene (Middle High German schine), ‘narrow wood or metal plate, strip,’ as well as Old High German ​scina, ‘needle,’ points to a Gothic *skinô, feminine, ‘narrow piece of bone or metal.’ Of the primitively history of the cognates it can only be said, however, that by inference from Anglo-Saxon scîœ, sceó, ‘shin,’ the root must be skī̆. From Teutonic are derived Italian schiniera, ‘greaves for a horse,’ and probably also Italian schiena, French échine, ‘spine,’ with their Romance cognates.
Schiene, feminine, see Schienbein.
schier, adjective, ‘clear, pure, simple, sheer,’ from Middle High German (Middle German) schîr, ‘mere, pure, glittering’; compare Old Saxon skîr, skîri, Anglo-Saxon scîr, ‘pure, glittering,’ English shere, sheer, Old Icelandic skírr, Gothic skeirs, ‘clear, manifest’; a derivative of the root skî, ‘to shine, glitter.’ In Modern High German this adjective has been confused in sound with the following adverb, yet the Modern High German form may be also of Low German origin. See scheinen.
schier, adverb, ‘almost,’ from Middle High German schiere, adverb, ‘quickly, soon,’ Old High German sciaro, older skêro, adverb, ‘quickly’; allied to Old High German sciari, scêri, adjective, ‘sagacious, zealous in tracing out’; compare Dutch schier, ‘almost’ (Old Icelandic skýrr, skœ́rr, ‘bright, clear’).
Schier, neuter, ‘lawn, veil,’ Modern High German only, borrowed from Low German; properly the neuter of the adjective schier.
Schierling, masculine, ‘hemlock,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schirlinc, schęrlinc (genitive -ges), Old High German scęriling; compare Dutch scheerling. Derived, like the variants Middle High German schęrninc, Old High German and Old Low German scęrning, ‘hemlock,’ from the equivalent Old High German scarno, masculine; the l of the Old High German, Middle High German, and Modern High German forms is due to the current German suffix -ling. The term is unknown to the other Old Teutonic dialects (in Anglo-Saxon hymlic, hemleác occur, English hemlock).
schießen, verb, ‘to shoot,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schieȥen, Old High German scioȥan; the corresponding verb occurs in the same sense in all the Old Teutonic dialects; compare Old Saxon skeotan (Dutch schieten), Anglo-Saxon sčeótan (English to shoot), Old Icelandic skjóta, Gothic (by chance not recorded) *skiutan. The root skut, ‘to shoot,’ from pre-Teutonic skud, is widely diffused in Teutonic, and corresponds to the Sanscrit root kšud, ‘to shatter, excite,’ or better with Sanscrit skund, ‘to leap forth.’ For derivatives see Schoß, Schuß, Schutz, and Schütze.
Schiff, neuter, ‘ship,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schif, Old High German scif, scëf (genitive -ffes), neuter; a common Teutonic term; compare Gothic and Old Icelandic skip, neuter, Anglo-Saxon sčip, neuter, English ship, Dutch schip, Old Saxon scip. The Old High German word also signifies ‘vessel,’ being rendered in a gloss as equivalent to its derivative Old High German sciphî, ‘phiala’ (compare Kahn; English vessel in its double sense, borrowed from French vaisseau, ‘vessel (a utensil), ship,’ Greek σκαφίς, ‘bowl, skiff’). The Greek term with σκάφος, ‘boat, ship,’ cannot be allied to the Teutonic word, since the latter implies an Aryan i in the stem syllable. No certain etymological explanation can be given of Teutonic skipa-; the suspicion that the word was borrowed at a primitively period may not be unfounded, for there are only a very few nautical words possessed in common by several Aryan languages (compare Mast). From Old High German the word passed into Romance; compare Italian schifo, French esquif, ‘boat,’ to which is allied Old French esquiper, ‘to equip a ship,’ with a Low German p, Modern French équiper, ‘to equip, endow,’ which passed again into Teutonic.
Schild (1.), masculine, ‘shield, coat of arms,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schilt, Old High German scilt, masculine; a common Teutonic term; compare Gothic skildus, masculine, Old Icelandic skjǫldr, Anglo-Saxon scyld, English shield, Dutch schild, Old Saxon scild. The word first signified ‘signboard’ in early Modern High German. The specifically Teutonic term skildu-s (from skeldhus, skeltús?) cannot be traced farther back; it can scarcely be related to schallen (Schild, literally ‘that which gives a loud sound or resounds’?).
Schild (2.), neuter, ‘signboard,’ Modern High German only, a variant of the foregoing; hence Schilder- (neuter stem) in compounds such as Schilderhaus, ‘sentry-box.’
schildern, verb, ‘to paint, depict, describe,’ allied to Middle High German schilt, ‘coat of arms’; compare Middle High German schiltœre, masculine, ‘artist’; the shields were originally painted in the Middle High German age of chivalry with coats of arms, and even, according to Tacitus, Germ. vi. (“scuta lectissimis coloribus distinguunt”), in the Old Teutonic heroic period. Compare Dutch schilderen, ‘to paint, depict, describe.’
Schildpatt, neuter, ‘tortoise-shell,’ Modern High German only, from Low German and Dutch schildpad, ‘tortoise’ and ‘tortoise-shell.’ The early history of Dutch padde, ‘toad,’ English puddock and Old Icelandic padda, ‘toad,’ is obscure.
Schilf, neuter, ‘rush, bulrush, reed,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schilf, Old High German sciluf (masculine and neuter?); unknown to the other Teutonic dialects; perhaps it is an early loan-word from Latin scirpus, ‘rush,’ to which it cannot be primitively allied. Others, regarding Schilf as a genuine Teutonic word, connect it with Old High German sceliva, Middle High German schelfe, ‘bowl of fruit and pulse.’
​ Schillern, verb, ‘to change or vary in colour,’ Modern High German only, a derivative of Middle High German schillen, a variant of schilen, ‘to squint, blink.’
Schilling, masculine ‘shilling, money,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schilling, Old High German scilling, masculine, a common Teutonic term for a coin; compare Gothic skilliggs, Old Icelandic skillingr, Anglo-Saxon sčilling, English shilling, Dutch schelling, Old Saxon scilling. Formed from Old Teutonic skellan, ‘to sound,’ with the suffix -inga-, a favourite termination in Old German names of coins (see Pfenning, Old High German cheisuring, English farthing); hence Schilling is literally ‘ringing coin.’ From Teutonic are derived Italian scellino and French escalin, a coin worth about sixpence, as well as the equivalent Old Slovenian sklęzǐ.
Schimmel, masculine, ‘mould,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schimel, masculine, for an older *schimbel, Old High German *scimbal, which may be inferred from the Old High German derivatives *scimbalên, ‘to get mouldy,’ scimbalag, ‘mouldy.’ The Middle High German form is due to a confusion with schîme, masculine, ‘glimmer’; compare Dutch schimmelen. Old High German *scimbal has no corresponding form in the other Teutonic dialects —
Schimmel, masculine, ‘white horse,’ late Middle High German, identical with Schimmel, ‘mucus.’
Schimmer, masculine, ‘glimmer,’ early Modern High German, formed from Low German and Dutch schemeren, ‘to glimmer, gleam.’ This is connected, like Middle High German schîme, ‘glimmer, lustre,’ Old High German scîmo, Gothic skeima, ‘light, lamp,’ with the root skī̆, ‘to shine, glitter’; compare Middle English schimeren, ‘to shimmer,’ English shimmer, English shim, ‘white spot,’ Swedish skimra (see Schemen).
Schimpf, masculine, ‘insult, abuse, affront,’ from Middle High German schimpf (parallel form schampf), masculine, ‘jest, pastime, play, tournament.’ The current meaning first appeared in early Modern High German; yet the older sense ‘jest,’ which belongs to Old High German scimpf, Middle High German schimpf, was retained till the 17th century (Logau); compare Dutch schimp, ‘scorn, mockery,’ Middle High German schumpfe, feminine, ‘paramour’ (literally ‘she who jests’). The root skimp, ‘to jest,’ which appears in Old High German scimpf, is wanting in the other Teutonic dialects. It has been connected with Greek σκώπτω, ‘to jest, deride,’ which, with its double meaning, certainly furnishes an analogy for Middle High German Schimpf.
Schindel. feminine, ‘shingle, splint,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schindel, Old High German scintila, feminine, formed from Middle Latin scindula, scandula, ‘shingle,’ the sound of which was perhaps influenced by Greek σχινδαλμύς. The word was borrowed from Middle Latin about the 6th century, contemporaneously with Ziegel, Mauer, &c. The Middle English form schingel, English shingle, is peculiar. The Romance languages preserve the a- form, Latin scandula; compare Italian (dialectic) scandola and French échandole.
Schinden, verb, ‘to skin, flay,’ from Middle High German schinden, ‘to skin, peel, ill-treat severely,’ Old High German scintan; a denominative from a lost Old High German *scind, neuter, ‘hide, skin,’ which may be assumed in Old High German from Old Icelandic skinn (see Schinne), neuter, ‘skin, hide, fur, leather.’ English skin, from Middle English skinne (Anglo-Saxon scinn), is borrowed from Scandinavian, since Anglo-Saxon sci, sči, must have become shi in Modern English Gothic *skinþa-, from pre-Teutonic skénto-, has not yet been found in the non-Teutonic languages.
Schinken, masculine, ‘ham,’ from Middle High German schinke, masculine, ‘thigh, ham,’ Old High German scincho, masculine, scincha, feminine, ‘tibia, thigh.’ They are related by gradation to the cognates adduced under Schenkel, to which Suabian and Alemannian (and Bavarian) Schunke, Old Frisian skunka, meaning ‘bone, thigh, ham,’ are also to be added as further graded forms. Its connection with Schiene is probable on account of the meaning. From the Teutonic cognates Italian (dialectic) stinco (schinco), ‘shin-bone,’ is borrowed.
Schinnen, plural, ‘dandruff, scurf,’ Modern High German only, from Middle German and Low German; connected with the cognates discussed under schinden; literally ‘that which comes off in scales from the skin of the head’; hence allied to Old Icelandic skinn (from *skinþ), ‘skin’?.
Schirling, see Schierling.
Schirmen, verb, ‘to protect, defend,’ from Middle High German schirmen, schërmen, ‘to protect, defend, fight,’ Old High German scirmen, ‘to serve as a bulwark, protect,’ allied to Old High German scirm, scërm, masculine, ‘bulwark, shield, protection,’ Middle High German schirm, schërm, masculine, ‘shield, penthouse, shelter, defence’; to these Schirm and beschirmen are allied. From Teutonic are derived the Romance cognates of Italian schermo, ‘screen,’ schermire, ‘to fight.’ The early history of these words, which are wanting in the rest of the Teutonic dialects, is obscure; Greek σκίρον, ‘parasol,’ is perhaps primitively allied.
Schirren, see Geschirr.
Schiß, masculine, ‘ordure,’ a Modern High German form from scheißen.
schlabbern. verb, ‘to slobber, slaver,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German and Dutch slabben, ‘to flap,’ slabberen, ‘to spill.’
​ Schlacht, feminine, ‘battle, engagement,’ from Middle High German slahte, slaht, feminine, ‘killing, slaughter, battle,’ Old High German slahta, feminine, Old Saxon man-slahta, feminine, ‘death-blow, killing’; an abstract formed by the sem. suffix -tâ- (as in Schande), from the Teutonic root slah, ‘to slay.’ For Schlacht in the sense of ‘sort’ see Geschlecht. Schlacht, ‘dyke, embankment,’ is also a derivative of schlagen, ‘to make firm by beating,’ which sense Middle High German slahen may have even in the classical poets. —
schlachten, verb, ‘to slaughter, slay,’ Middle High German slahten, Old High German slahtôn, ‘to kill, slaughter,’ is a derivative of Schlacht (Old High German slahta), with the preservation of its more general meaning; so too Schlächter, masculine, ‘butcher,’ Middle High German slahtœre, Old High German slahtâri, ‘butcher’; allied to English slaughter.
Schlacke, feminine, ‘slag, dross,’ Modern High German only, from Low German slacke, ‘scales that fly off when metal is struck’ (English slag); allied to schlagen.
Schlaf (1.), masculine, Schläfe, feminine, ‘temple,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German slâf, masculine; Schläfe is properly the plural of Schlaf, referring to both the temples (compare Latin tempora); Dutch slaap, ‘temple.’ In Anglo-Saxon þunwęnge, allied to Old High German tinna, Middle High German tinne and Old High German thinna-bahho, masculine, ‘temple,’ Middle High German tünewęnge, ‘temple’ (compare dünn), Old High German dunwęngi, Old Icelandic þunnvange, ‘temple.’ Beneath these similarly sounding terms lies the older Teutonic term for ‘temple.’
Schlaf (2.), masculine, ‘sleep, slumber,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German slâf, masculine; a verbal abstract from schlafen, Middle High German slâfen, Old High German slâfan, strong verb, ‘to sleep.’ This form is peculiar to Teutonic in this sense, and is wanting only in Old Icelandic, which has preserved sofa (Teutonic root swef, Aryan swep), primitively allied to Latin somnus, Greek ὕπνος; Gothic slêps, ‘sleep,’ slêpan, ‘to sleep,’ Anglo-Saxon slœ́p, English sleep, Anglo-Saxon slœ̂pan, English to sleep, Dutch slaap, slapen, Old Saxon slâp, slâpan. Compare also the derivatives with r, Old High German slâfarag, Middle High German slâfrec, slœfric, ‘sleepy,’ Old High German slâfarôn (and slâfôn), Middle High German slâfern, ‘to be asleep, get sleepy.’ With the Teutonic root slêp, ‘to sleep,’ appearing in these cognates, are also connected Modern High German schlaff and its Teutonic correspondences; hence the primary meaning of schlafen is probably ‘to be relaxed.’ For further references see under schlaff.
schlaff, adjective, ‘relaxed, loose, indolent,’ from Middle High German and Old High German slaf (genitive slaffes), ‘relaxed, idle, impotent’; compare Low German and Dutch slap, ‘relaxed, impotent,’ whence Modern High German schlapp, retaining the Low German p, is borrowed. Gothic *slapa- is perhaps a graded form of the root slép, as lata-, ‘idle, lazy,’ is of the root lêt, ‘to omit’ (see laß). Old Slovenian slabŭ, ‘relaxed, weak,’ and Latin lâbi, ‘to glide,’ lăbare, ‘to totter,’ have been rightly compared with the primary Teutonic slapa-, ‘relaxed.’ See schlafen.
Schlag (1.), masculine, ‘sort, race, family, class’; see Geschlecht.
Schlag (2.), masculine, ‘stroke, blow,’ from the equivalent Middle High German slac (genitive slages), Old High German slag, masculine; a verbal abstract of the root slah, ‘to strike.’ Modern High German schlagen, ‘to strike, beat, pulsate,’ Middle High German slahen, Old High German slahan, ‘to strike’; the g of the Modern High German verb is due to the grammatical change of h to g. Compare Gothic slahan, Old Icelandic slá (also ‘to mow down’), Anglo-Saxon sleán (from sleahan), English to slay, Dutch slaan, Old Saxon slahan, ‘to strike.’ Teutonic root slah (slag), from pre-Teutonic slā̆k; akin to Greek λακίζω, Latin lacerare, ‘to tear to pieces or rags,’ for slak-?. A root similar in sound appears in Old Irish slechtaim, sligim, ‘I strike’ (root sleg). See Geschlecht and schlau.
Schlamm, masculine, ‘slime, mud,’ from the equivalent Middle High German slam (genitive slammes), masculine.
Schlamp, masculine, ‘carouse’; see schlemmen.
Schlange, feminine, ‘serpent,’ from the equivalent Middle High German slange, masculine and feminine, Old High German slango, masculine; compare Old Icelandic slange, masculine, ‘serpent,’ Dutch slang; a graded form of schlingen, hence Schlinge is literally ‘that which coils.’ —
schlängeln, verb, ‘to wind, twist,’ Modern High German only, seems a diminutive derivative of Schlange.
schlank, adjective, ‘slender, slim,’ from Middle Low German (Middle German) slanc, ‘slim, lean’; compare Dutch slank, ‘thin, nimble’; to this Old Icelandic slakke (for slanke), ‘mountain slope,’ is also probably allied. Gothic *slanka- would be connected with the root sling in schlingen, like krank with the root kring in Anglo-Saxon cringan; see schlingen.
Schlappe (1.), feminine, ‘slipper,’ Modern High German only, from Low German slappe, winch is derived from Low German slapp, ‘loose.’
Schlappe (2.), feminine, ‘slap; discomfiture, defeat,’ Modern High German only, from Low German slappe; compare Middle English slappe, English slap; hence also in earlier Modern High German ‘slap in the face.’ From a High German *slapfe is derived Italian schiaffo, ‘slap in the face.’
schlappen, verb, ‘to slap, hang down, go slipshod,’ Modern High German only, from Low German and Dutch slabben; see schlabbern.
Schlaraffe, masculine, ‘sluggard, lubber,’ for earlier Modern High German. Schlauraffe, which is met with as late as the first half of the last ​century; from Middle High German slûr-affe (sluder-affe), ‘luxurious, thoughtless idler, sluggard,’ recorded in the 14th century, and certainly of not much earlier date; the latter term is from Middle High German slûr, ‘sluggishness, lazy person,’ see schleudern, schlummern. The first detailed description of Schlaraffenland, of which the earliest mention is made in the 15th century, was given in a farce by Hans Sachs in 1530 A.D.
schlau, adjective, ‘sly, crafty, cunning,’ early Modern High German only, formed from Low German slû; compare Dutch sluw, ‘sly’; akin also probably to Old Icelandic slœ́gr, Middle English sleigh, English sly, which, as Modern High German verschlagen, ‘cunning,’ indicates, is perhaps connected with the root slah, ‘to strike.’ It is uncertain how far these terms are due to earlier loan-words, and whether Old Icelandic slœ́gr is the ultimate source of them all.
Schlauch, masculine, ‘leather bag, bottle, or pipe, funnel,’ from Middle High German slûch, masculine, ‘skin, slough (of a snake), leather bag, pipe’; corresponding to English slough, Swedish dialectic slug. Middle High German slûch, ‘gullet, throat; gulf, abyss,’ is a different word; late Old High German slûch, masculine, ‘yawning chasm’ (allied to schlucken). Modern High German Schlund, as well as Latin vorâgo, ‘abyss,’ allied to vorare, ‘to swallow up,’ shows a similar evolution in meaning; compare Latin faux, ‘gullet, throat, abyss.’
Schlauchmaul, neuter, ‘glutton,’ Modern High German only, connected with the cognates of schlucken.
schlecht, adjective, ‘bad, base, mean,’ from Middle High German slëht, adjective, ‘honest, straight, smooth, simple, clear, correct,’ Old High German slëht, ‘straight, even, honest, simple, gentle, friendly’; corresponding to Gothic slaíhts, ‘even, straight,’ Old Icelandic sléttr, ‘straight, even, smooth, gentle,’ Old Frisian sliacht, ‘honest, simple’; Dutch slecht, ‘honest, bad.’ Middle English and English slight, since the Anglo-Saxon word is not recorded, is probably a Dutch loan-word. The meanings are evolved from ‘straight, even, simple’ (see schlicht and schlichten), and has led in Modern High German to a peculiar development in malam partem. The origin of the common Teutonic adjective (or to-participle?) *slehta- is obscure; it cannot, on account of its form and meaning, be connected with schlagen; Greek ὀλίγος, ‘trifling,’ does not suit the earlier meaning, ‘straight, even, simple.’
schlecken, verb, ‘to lick, lap, be dainty,’ from late Middle High German slëcken, ‘to eat dainties by stealth’; allied to Middle High German slëc, masculine, ‘daintiness, dainty mouth,’ and havenslëcke, ‘glutton’; Old High German *slëcchôn, ‘to be fond of dainties,’ is wanting, as well as a corresponding term in any of the other Old Teutonic dialects. Not allied to schlucken, but an intensive form of Old Icelandic sl(illegible text)ikja, ‘to lick,’ which implies a Teutonic root slī̆k, sloiq.
Schlegel, masculine, ‘mallet, sledge-hammer, drumstick,’ from Middle High German slęgel, Old High German slęgil, masculine, ‘implement for beating, club, flail, hammer’; from the root slah, ‘to strike.’ Compare English sledge, Anglo-Saxon slęcǧe, feminine, ‘hammer,’ from the same root.
Schlohe, feminine, ‘sloe,’ from the equivalent Middle High German slêhe, Old High German slêha, feminine; a common Teutonic term; compare Dutch slee, Anglo-Saxon slâ, slâhaœ, feminine, English sloe, Swedish slån, Danish slaaen, ‘sloe’; Gothic *slaihô, or rather *slaihwô, are by chance not recorded. The cognates are usually connected with Low German slee, ‘blunt’; compare Old High German slêo, Old Saxon slêo (Dutch sleeuw, ‘bitter, harsh’), Anglo-Saxon slâw (English slow), Old Icelandic sljór, slœ́r, ‘blunt,’ hence the literally meaning of Schlehe is perhaps ‘the fruit that makes the teeth blunt.’ Yet the latter terms imply Gothic *slaiwa-, and the former Gothic *slaihô (*slaihwô), the explanation is dubious. So too, for the same reason, is the comparison with Old Slovenian sliva (Lithuanian slýwas), ‘plum,’ for which we should expect a Goth *sláiwô (though Anglo-Saxon slâ points to *sláihô).
schleichen, verb, ‘to creep, crawl, slink,’ from Middle High German slîchen, Old High German slîhhan, ‘to walk with a light sliding motion, creep’; ‘akin to Middle High German slī̆ch, masculine, ‘slime, mud,’ Dutch slik, slijk, ‘slime, mud,’ Middle English slîken, ‘to creep,’ with which English sleek and slick are connected; in the other languages the Teutonic root slī̆k (pre-Teutonic slī̆g) rarely occurs. — To this is allied Schleiche in Blindschleiche, feminine, ‘blind-worm,’ Middle High German blintslîche, Old High German blintslîcho, masculine. See Schlich.
Schleie, feminine, ‘tench,’ from the equivalent Middle High German slîe, Old High German slîo, masculine; corresponding to Anglo-Saxon slîw, masculine, ‘tench’; Gothic *sleiws, masculine, or rather *sleiwa, masculine, is wanting. Perhaps the fish was so named from its slimy scales, so that Schleim may be allied.
Schleier, masculine, ‘veil, pretence,’ from Middle High German sleier, earlier variants sloier, slogier, masculine, ‘kerchief, veil’ (the Middle High German term floier is curious); compare Dutch sluijer, Middle English sleir. Middle High German sloier, first recorded in the 13th century, is certainly a borrowed term; the assumption that it was introduced by the Crusaders from the East leads to no definite result. Perhaps it is connected with Old Irish sról, ‘silk.’
Schleife, feminine, ‘slide; slip-knot, bow of ​ribbons, favour,’ for earlier Modern High German (still dialectic) Schläufe, feminine, allied to Middle High German sloufen, slöufen, ‘to push, slip, dress’; also Gothic slaupjan, ‘to strip off’; Anglo-Saxon slûpan, ‘to glide, slip’ (English slop), Gothic sliupan, ‘to slip,’ Old High German sliofan, Middle High German sliefen, ‘to slide, slip.’ The Teutonic root slū̆p, from pre-Teutonic slū̆b, contained in these words, has been connected, perhaps rightly, with Latin (for *slûbricus), ‘slippery,’ and Lithuanian slùbnas, ‘weak.’
schleifen, verb, ‘to slide, sharpen, whet,’ from Middle High German slîfen, ‘to glide, sink, grind a weapon,’ &c. (properly ‘to sharpen by letting it slide’), Old High German slîfan, ‘to glide, sink, smooth’; compare Dutch slijpen, ‘to sharpen,’ Anglo-Saxon tô-slîpan, ‘to dissolve,’ to which are allied English to slip, and slippers (Italian schippire, ‘to escape’). How the Teutonic root slī̆p, ‘to glide, slip,’ is connected with the equivalent root slū̆p, discussed under the preceding word, and further also with schleichen (root slī̆k), has not yet been ascertained. The corresponding factitive schleichen, verb, ‘to trail,’ from Middle High German and Old High German sleifen, literally ‘to cause to slide along,’ hence ‘to drag along, trail,’ even late Middle High German eine burc sleifen, ‘to raze a city’; compare Low German and Dutch slepen, ‘to drag along the ground, trail,’ whence Modern High German schleppen is borrowed. See Schiff.
Schleim, masculine, ‘slime, mucus, phlegm, filth,’ from Middle High German slîm, masculine, ‘slime, mire, sticky fluid’; Old High German *slîm is wanting. Compare Dutch slijm, ‘slime,’ Anglo-Saxon slîm, and the equivalent English slime, Old Icelandic slîm, neuter; Gothic *sleims is wanting. The root slī̆, ‘to be smooth, slippery,’ contained in these words, which is especially apparent in Old High German slîmen, ‘to male smooth, brighten by grinding,’ is closely related to Latin lîmare, ‘to file, polish, smooth,’ lîma, ‘file,’ with which probably Latin lêvis and Greek λεῖος, ‘smooth,’ are also connected. In Latin and Greek initial s disappears before l. Perhaps Latin lîmus, ‘slime’ (see under Lehm), may be adduced here; compare further Schleie.
schleißen, verb, ‘to slit, split, gash,’ from Middle High German slîȥen, Old High German slîȥan, ‘to split, tear to pieces, wear out’; corresponding to Old Saxon slîtan, ‘to tear to pieces,’ Dutch slijten, ‘to wear out,’ Anglo-Saxon slîtan, ‘to tear to pieces,’ to which English to slit is allied, Old Icelandic slíta, ‘to tear to pieces.’ The Teutonic root slī̆t, ‘to tear to pieces’ (Gothic *sleitan), from pre-Teutonic slī̆d, has not yet been found in the non-Teutonic languages. See schlitzen, the intensive form. Schleißen, weak verb, as the factitive of the strong verb, is Middle High German and Old High German sleiȥen, sleitzen, ‘to tear to pieces, split.’
schlemmen, ‘to carouse,’ from late Middle High German slęmmen, ‘to squander,’ allied to late Middle High German slamp, ‘carouse’; compare Dutch slemp, ‘dainty meal,’ slempen, ‘to carouse,’ with which Schlempe, feminine, ‘rinsings,’ is connected. The term is wanting in the other Teutonic languages.
Schlempe, feminine, see schlemmen.
Schlendern, verb, ‘to lounge, saunter,’ Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent Low German slendern, Dutch slenderen. —
Schlendrian, masculine, ‘old practice or custom, loafer,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German; in Dutch slender, ‘sauntering gait.’ The d after n represents an older t, which is correctly permutated in High German schlenzen, ‘to saunter’; compare Middle English slenten, ‘to saunter.’
schenkern, verb, ‘to sling, fling; loiter, lounge’; from late Middle High German slęnkern, ‘to sling,’ allied to Middle High German slęnge, slęnger, slęnker, ‘sling,’ Old High German slęngira, feminine, ‘sling’; derivatives from a root sling (see schlingen). From this was formed Old High German slinga, feminine, Middle High German slinge, feminine, ‘sling,’ whence the Romance term French elingue was borrowed; compare English sling, and see Schlinge.
Schleppe, feminine, ‘train (of a dress), trail,’ Modern High German only, from Low German slepe, Dutch sleep, ‘train.’ —
schleppen, ‘to drag along, trail’; it occurs even in Middle High German; from Middle German and Low German; compare Low German and Dutch slepen. See schleifen.
Schleuder, feminine, ‘sling, swing,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German slûder, feminine; probably borrowed (whence?). The equivalent German word is quoted under schlenkern.
schleudern, verb, ‘to perform in a slovenly manner, bungle’; it is not really related to the preceding word, though it is instinctively connected with it by Germans, in Schleuderpreis, ‘undervalue,’ for example. The verb is allied to Middle High German slûderer, ‘he who works hastily and negligently,’ which again, with an excrescent dental (as in haudern), is akin to Middle High German slûr, masculine, ‘bungling, idling, idler’; compare Schlaraffe and schlummern.
schleunig, adjective, ‘hasty, speedy,’ from Middle High German sliunec, Old High German slûnîg, ‘quick, speedy,’ in Old High German also ‘thriving.’ A lengthened form of Gothic *slû-na-, for which we have, however, snû-na-; the l seems to have been produced by assimilation on account of the suffix n. Allied to the Old Teutonic root ​snū̆, ‘to hasten, move quickly, turn’; compare Old High German sniumo, Anglo-Saxon sneóme, adverb, ‘speedily, quickly,’ Gothic sniumundô, ‘hastily,’ as. snûde, adverb, ‘quickly’; as a verb sniumjan, ‘to hasten,’ Gothic sniwan, ‘to hasten,’ Anglo-Saxon sneówian, ‘to hasten,’ Old Icelandic snúa, ‘to turn.’
Schleuse, feminine, ‘sluice,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German slüse, Dutch sluis, ‘aqueduct,’ which is derived from Old French escluse, Modern French écluse (from early Middle Latin sclusa, exclusa). From the same source English sluice is derived.
Schlich, masculine, ‘byway, trick,’ from Middle High German slich, masculine, ‘light, gait,’ allied to schleichen.
schlicht, adjective, ‘plain, homely, honest,’ Modern High German only, formed to represent the meanings of Middle High German slëht (see schlecht), which became obsolete in Modern High German schlecht, from the Middle High German and Old High German verb slihten, ‘to make plain, smooth over,’ and the Middle High German abstract form slihte, feminine, ‘straightforwardness’; compare Old High German slihten, ‘to make plain,’ slihtî, allied to slëht, ‘straight, even.’
schliefen, verb, see Schleife.
schließen, verb, ‘to close, shut, include, infer,’ from Middle High German slieȥen, Old High German slioȥan, ‘to shut,’ Old Saxon *slûtan (equivalent to Middle Low German and Low German slûten), is attested by slutil, ‘key’; Dutch sluiten, ‘to lock up,’ Old Frisian slûta; further Northern English sloat, slot, ‘bolt of a door.’ In Old Icelandic and Gothic the corresponding verbs and derivatives are wanting. The Teutonic root certainly originated in pre-Teutonic sklū̆d — the combination skl is not tolerated in Teutonic, — and hence it may be compared with Latin claudo for *sclaudo (Aryan root klaud, as well as sklaud), as a cognate term. See Schloß and Schlüssel.
Schliff, masculine, ‘sharpening, grinding, edge,’ from Middle High German slif (genitive sliffes), masculine, ‘polish, slipping’; allied to schleifen.
schlimm, adjective, ‘bad, wicked,’ from Middle High German slimp, adjective, ‘awry, aslant,’ whence the adverb slimbes, ‘obliquely’; Old High German *slimb, ‘aslant,’ may be assumed from the derivative abstract form slimbî, ‘slope.’ The moral signification of the adjective first occurs in Modern High German; a similar development is seen in Dutch slim, ‘bad’ (beside which occurs slimbeen, ‘person with bandy-legs’). English slim and Old Icelandic slœ́mr, ‘vile,’ were borrowed from the Continent. The remoter history of Old Teutonic slimba-, ‘aslant, awry,’ from which Italian sghembo, ‘awry, bent,’ was borrowed at an early period, is quite obscure.
Schlinge, feminine, ‘knot, loop, noose, snare,’ Modern High German only; corresponding in form to Middle High German slinge, ‘sling,’ feminine (see schlenkern), which meaning was retained in Modern High German till the 17th century (so too Spanish eslingua, French élingue). On account of its sense, however, Schlinge is not to be derived from this Middle High German word, but from the Modern High German verb —
schlingen, verb, ‘to wind, twine, twist, sling,’ from Middle High German slingen, Old High German slingan, ‘to wind, entwine, swing to and fro,’ Middle High German also ‘to creep,’ Old High German ‘to move’; compare Dutch slingeren, ‘to hurl, swing,’ Anglo-Saxon slingan, English to slung, Old Icelandic slyngva, ‘to throw’; Gothic *slingwan (or rather *sleihwan) is wanting. The primary idea of the root slingw, to which both schlenkern and Schlange are allied, was ‘a revolving, swinging motion.’ The Teutonic root slingw (*slinhw) originated in pre-Teutonic slenk, as is indicated by Lithuanian slínkti, ‘to creep’ (Old Slovenian sląkŭ, ‘crooked’?). —
Schlingel, masculine, ‘sluggard, rascal, blackguard,’ earlier Modern High German Schlüngel, properly perhaps ‘sneak’; wanting in and in the other languages.
schlingen (1.), verb, ‘to twine, wind.’ See the preceding article.
schlingen (2.), verb, ‘to swallow, engulf,’ a Middle German term introduced by Luther, for (Upper German) Middle High German slinden, Old High German slintan, ‘to devour’; in Middle German nd changes to ng, as, e.g., Thuringian linge, ‘Linde’ (linden), gebungen, gebunden (bound), schlung, Schlund (gullet). Compare Gothic fra-slindan, ‘to devour,’ Dutch slinden, ‘to devour’; further corresponding verbs are wanting in Old Teutonic. The Teutonic root slind, ‘to devour,’ seems to be cognate with the root slī̆d, ‘to slide.’ See Schlitten and also Schlund. The change from schlinden to schlingen is due to connecting the word with schlingen (1); compare hinunter würgen, ‘to swallow.’
Schlitten, masculine, ‘sleigh, sledge,’ from the equivalent Middle High German slitte, usually slite, masculine, Old High German slita, feminine, slito, masculine; compare Dutch slede, Middle English slede, English sled, sledge, Old Icelandic sleðe, masculine, ‘sleigh.’ From High German is derived Italian slitta, ‘sleigh.’ The Teutonic cognates are based on a Teutonic root slī̆d, ‘to slide,’ which is preserved in the English verb and substantive slide; compare the equivalent Middle High German (Middle German) slîten, whence Modern High German (dialectic) schlittern, ‘to slide (on ice),’ Anglo-Saxon slîdan. Pre-Teutonic slī̆dh, ‘to slide,’ is also attested by Lithuanian slidus, ‘smooth’ (of ice), slýsti (root slyd), ‘to slide,’ Lettic slidas, ‘skates,’ and Sanscrit sridh, ‘to stumble’; the root seems to have been often used in primitively Teutonic ​times, and perhaps still earlier, for ‘to slide (on ice).’ —
Schlittschuh, masculine, ‘skate,’ Modern High German only in its present sense, for earlier Modern High German Schrittschuh. Compare Middle High German schriteschuoch, neuter, ‘league-boot, shoe for flying.’
Schlitz, masculine, ‘slit, gash,’ from Middle High German sliz (genitive slitzes), Old High German sliz, sliȥ, masculine, ‘cleaving, breach’ (compare English slit); allied to schleißen. —
schlitzen, verb, ‘to slit, gash, cleave,’ from the equivalent Middle High German slitzen, intensive of schleißen.
schlohweiß, adjective, see Schloße.
Schloß, neuter, ‘lock, clasp; castle, palace,’ from Middle High German slō̆ȥ, neuter, ‘bolt, band, lock, fetter, castle, citadel,’ Old High German slŏȥ, neuter, ‘lock, bolt’; corresponding to Northern English slot, sloat, ‘bolt, crossbar’; allied to schließen.
Schloße, feminine, ‘hail, hailstone, sleet,’ from the equivalent Middle High German slôȥe, feminine, slôȥ (masculine and neuter?); Old High German *slôȥa is wanting; compare Dutch slote (Old Saxon *slôta), Anglo-Saxon *slŷt, *slête, English sleet (Gothic *slauti- is wanting). The origin of the cognates is obscure; it is scarcely derived from the root slū̆t, ‘to lock,’ as if hail were regarded as ‘that which is bound together compared with the soft snowflakes and the streaming rain.’ —
schloßweiß, or, by a curious corruption, schlohweiß, literally ‘white as hail’ (Middle High German wîzer dan ein slôȥ, ‘whiter than a hailstone,’ occurs once).
Schlot, masculine, ‘chimney, flue, channel,’ from Middle High German and Old High German slât, masculine, ‘chimney, fireside, mouth of an oven.’ A word peculiar to Middle German; of obscure origin.
schlottern, verb, ‘to shake, hang loose, dangle,’ from the equivalent Middle High German slottern, intensive of Middle High German sloten, ‘to quiver.’ Compare Dutch slodderen, ‘to shake’; of obscure origin.
Schlucht, feminine, ‘ravine, gorge,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German, for earlier Modern High German and High German Schluft; for Low German cht, representing High German ft, see sacht, beschwichtigen, and Nichte. Middle High German (rare) sluft, ‘ravine,’ belongs to the Teutonic root slū̆p, ‘to' slip,’ discussed under Schleife.
schluchzen, verb ‘to sob,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German sluckzen; properly a frequentative of schlucken, which in Middle High German also means ‘to sob.’ See seufzen (Old High German *sluhhazzen, *slucchazzen, are wanting). —
schlucken, verb, ‘to gulp down, swallow,’ from Middle High German slucken, ‘to swallow, gulp down, sob’; Old High German *slucchôn may be inferred from sluccho, slûhho (hh as in schluchzen?), masculine ‘gormandiser, glutton.’ Allied to Middle High German slûchen, ‘to swallow, gulp down,’ and slûch, ‘gullet, throat; sot, glutton’ (compare Modern High German Schlauchmaul). The Teutonic root slū̆k, not allied to schlecken, originated in Aryan slū̆g, which has been identified in Greek as λυγ (for σλυγ); compare λυγγάνομαι, λύζω, ‘to have the hiccup, sob,’ λύγδην, ‘sobbingly,’ λύγξ (λυγγός), ‘violent sobbing, hiccup.’ In Old Irish the root appears with initial s as slug, ‘to devour.’ Akin also to Schlauch.
Schluft, see Schlucht.
Schlummern, verb, ‘to slumber,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German (Middle German) slummeren, slumen; compare Dutch sluimeren; Anglo-Saxon slûmerian, English to slumber, Anglo-Saxon slûma, Northern English sloom, ‘to slumber.’ The root (Alemannian šlûne, šlûre, ‘to slumber’) contained in these words appears in Gothic slawan (slawaida), ‘to be silent,’ in a curious divergent meaning, to which Middle High German slûr, masculine, ‘idling, idler’ (compare Schlaraffe), is also allied. The primary idea of the whole group is ‘to be quiet, inactive.’
Schlund, masculine, ‘gullet, throat, chasm,’ from Middle High German and Old High German slunt, masculine, ‘gullet, throat, neck, abyss’; allied to Middle High German slinden, Modern High German schlingen (2), but with the preservation of the old dental, which schlingen has changed into a guttural.
Schlupf, masculine, ‘slip, refuge, pass, defile,’ from Middle High German slupf, ‘noose, cord,’ allied to Middle High German slüpfen, Middle High German and Old High German slupfen, Modern High German schlüpfen, ‘to slip,’ which is an intensive of Middle High German sliefen, ‘to slide, slip,’ corresponding to Gothic sliupan, ‘to slip’; Latin lûbricus seems to be primitively allied to it. —
schlüpfrig, adjective ‘slippery, unstable,’ from late Middle High German slupferic, ‘slippery,’ of which the variant slupfer occurs.
schlürfen, verb, ‘to sip, lap, drink,’ Modern High German only; probably, however, its non-occurrence in earlier High German is only an accident (Middle High German *slürfen, Old High German *slurfen); according to the High German permutation Dutch slurpen, ‘to sip,’ is allied. The stem is not found elsewhere; its origin is obscure.
Schlüssel, masculine, ‘key,’ from the equivalent Middle High German slüȥȥel, Old High German sluȥȥil, masculine; corresponding to Old Saxon slutil, Dutch sleutel. This derivative of schließen (Gothic *slutila-) is wanting in English, Old Icelandic, and Gothic.
Schluß, masculine, ‘end, conclusion,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German sluȥ, masculine, of which the variant sloȥ occurs in sloȥrede, ‘syllogism,’ sloȥstein, ‘keystone.’ Allied to schließen.
Schmach, feminine, ‘outrage, ignominy,’ from Middle High German (rare) smâch, smâhe, usually smœhe, ​feminine, ‘insult, abuse, ignominy’ (to which Italian smacco, ‘affront,’ is allied?). An abstract from Middle High German smœhe, adjective, ‘little, trifling, contemptible’; compare Old High German smâhi, adjective, ‘little, trifling, base,,’ smâhi, feminine, ‘trifle, baseness’; also Old Icelandic smár, ‘little,’ and, with a different development of meaning, Anglo-Saxon smeálîc, ‘fine, careful.’ A similar variety of meanings is seen in the history of Modern High German klein, for which we must assumne (as for Old High German smâki) the primary meaning of ‘little, pretty.’ If Greek μικρός, σμικρός, represents σμεκρός, Old High German smâhi (as if corresponding to *σμήκιος) may be connected with it. The earlier sense still appears faintly in schmachten and verschmachten; compare Middle High German versmahten (ă or â?), ‘to pine away,’ Old High German gismahteôn, ‘to disappear.’ Allied to schmächtig, adjective, ‘pining, languishing,’ from Middle High German (Middle German) smahtec, from Middle High German (Middle German) smaht, ‘pining away’; if these latter cognates contain ă, they may be connected with Modern High German smëcker, ‘slender, narrow, pining.’ See schmähen.
Schmack, see schmecken.
Schmacke, feminine, ‘smack’ (vessel), Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent Low German and Dutch smak, English smack, Danish smakke (compare French semaque); its history and origin are obscure.
schmähen, verb, ‘to abuse, revile, rail,’ from Middle High German smœhen, ‘to treat contemptuously,’ Old High German smâhen, verb, ‘to make small, lessen,’ see Schmach. Allied to Modern High German schmählich, adjective, ‘abusive,’ Middle High German smœhelich, Old High German smâlîch, adjective, which are identical with the Old High German adjective smâhi, Middle High German smœhe, adduced under Schmach.
schmal, adjective, ‘narrow, slender, scanty,’ from Middle High German and Old High German smal, adjective, ‘small, trifling, slender, scanty, narrow’; corresponding to Gothic smals, ‘small, trifling.’ Anglo-Saxon smeœl, ‘small, trifling,’ English small, Dutch smal, Old Saxon smal, ‘emall, trifling.’ The Modern High German sense is to be regarded as a specialisation of the older and wider meaning. The word is usually compared with Old Slovenian malŭ, ‘small,’ as well as Greek μῆλα, ‘small cattle’ (for σμ-?), Old Irish míl, ‘animal,’ especially since Old Icelandic smale, ‘small cattle,’ has the same meaning. The older and wider meaning of the adjective is still faintly seen in schmälen, ‘to put down with reproof’; compare Middle High German smeln, ‘to make narrower, lessen.’
Schmalte, feminine, ‘smalt,’ Modern High German only, formed from Italian smalto, or French smalt, ‘glass of a deep blue.’
Schmalz, neuter, ‘fat, grease, suet,’ from Middle High German and Old High German smalz, neuter, ‘melted fat for cooking, grease, butter’ (compare Italian dialectic smalzo, ‘butter’); allied to schmelzen, ‘to melt,’ which, in the sense ‘to cook with fat,’ is derived from Schmalz.
Schmant, masculine (Livonian, Low German, and Hessian), ‘cream,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German smant, borrowed in the 15th century from Slavonic; compare Bohemian smant. With Bohemian smetana (Russian smetana, ‘cream’) is connected the dialectic (Silesian, Bohemian, and Austrian) Schmetten, ‘cream,’ to which Schmetterling is probably related.
schmarotzen, verb, ‘to spunge on,’ from late Middle High German smorotzen, ‘to beg, be sordid, spunge on.’ On account of the narrow area and the late appearance of the word, its history and origin are obscure.
Schmarre, feminine, ‘slash, scar,’ Modern High German only; corresponding to Low German smarre; unknown to the Old Teutonic languages; only in Middle High German does a cognate smurre, feminine, ‘cut, stroke,’ occur. Of obscure origin.
schmatzen, verb, ‘to smack the lips in eating,’ from the equivalent Middle High German smatzen, which also means ‘to kiss with a smack.’ The Middle High German word comes from an older equivalent variant smackezen, a derivative of Middle High German smacken, ‘to taste, savour.’
Schmauch, masculine, ‘thick smoke,’ from Middle High German smouch, ‘smoke, vapour’ (Anglo-Saxon smêč). Allied to a Teutonic root smū̆k (Pre-Teutonic smū̆g), ‘to smoke’; compare Anglo-Saxon smeócan, smŏcian, and the equivalent English to smoke, Dutch smoken, ‘to smoke,’ smook, ‘smoke’; also Low German smöken. Perhaps Greek σμὕχω (Aorist ε-σμύγ-ην), ‘to consume in a smouldering fire,’ is allied.
Schmaus, masculine, ‘feast, banquet’; its history and origin are obscure. Yet Dutch smullen, ‘to eat or drink immoderately, carouse,’ smuisteren, ‘to feast, Dutch and Low German smudderen, smodderen, ‘to feast,’ are probably cognate. The word is unknown to the Old Teutonic period.
schmecken, verb, ‘to taste, savour, relish,’ from Middle High German smęcken, smacken, ‘to try by tasting; savour, smell, scent; perceive’; the meaning ‘to smell’ is still partly retained by Alemannian and Bavarian Old High German smęcchen, only ‘to taste’ (transitive and intransitive), smacchên, ‘to smack of.’ Compare Old High German and Middle High German smac, masculine, ‘taste,’ Dutch smaak, Anglo-Saxon smœc (cc), ‘taste,’ smeččan, ‘to taste,’ English smack, verb and substantive. In Old Icelandic and Gothic there are no corresponding verbs from the Teutonic root ​smak (pre-Teutonic smā̆g), with which Lithuanian smagùs, ‘agreeable,’ literally ‘pliant,’ has wrongly been connected as cognate terms.
Schmeer, masculine, ‘fat, grease, smear,’ from the equivalent Middle High German smër (genitive smërwes), Old High German smëro (genitive smërwes), neuter; compare schmieren. From the root smër, contained in these words, are derived Gothic *smaír-þr, neuter, ‘fat, fatness,’ Dutch smeer, ‘fat, grease, tallow,’ Anglo-Saxon smeoro, English smear, Old Icelandic smjǫr, ‘butter’; also, with a different meaning, Gothic smarna, ‘dirt, excrement’ (compare its relation to Schmeer and schmieren), and, in a figurative sense, Old High German and Anglo-Saxon bismer, ‘contumely.’ In the non-Teutonic languages the word has been compared, probably without any justification, with Greek μὕρω, ‘to trickle,’ μῦρον, ‘salve.’
schmeicheln, verb, ‘to caress, coax, flatter,’ from Middle High German smeicheln, smeichen, ‘to flatter, praise, extol’; Old High German *smeihhen is wanting; compare Middle Low German smeken, Dutch smeeken, ‘to implore’ (conversely, Dutch vleijen signifies ‘to flatter’). These cognates, which have no corresponding terms in other languages, probably belong, like the words adduced under Schminke, to a Teutonic and Aryan root smī̆-w, ‘to be insinuating, friendly,’ to which Middle High German smieren, smielen, ‘to smile’ (compare Speichel from the root spîw, ‘to spit’), is allied. In that case English to smile, Sanscrit smêra-s, ‘smiling,’ Sanscrit root smi, ‘to laugh,’ Lettic smët, ‘to laugh,’ and Old Slovenian směją, smijati sę, ‘to laugh,’ are probably allied. If from its relation to High German glatt and English glad it is assumed that the primary meaning of the root smī̆-w is ‘to be smooth,’ the root smī̆ (see Schmied), ‘to work artistically’ (literally ‘to do polished work’), may be regarded as cognate with the former; similarly Old High German gi-slihten signifies ‘to smooth over, polish,’ and ‘to flatter.’
schmeißen, verb, ‘to smite, fling, kick (of horses),’ from Middle High German smîȥen, ‘to rub, strike’; the latter meanings are the earlier, as is shown by Gothic smeitan (only in gasmeitan and bi-smeitan), ‘to spread over, besmear’; compare Anglo-Saxon smîtan, English to smite. The meaning of Modern High German schmeißen, compared with that of Old High German and Middle High German, is due to Low German and Dutch influence; compare Dutch smijten, ‘to sling, throw.’ Yet it is to be observed that the Old High German and Middle High German verbs are compounded usually with bi, or rather be (as in Gothic and Anglo-Saxon), hence the Old Teutonic root smī̆t probably signifies ‘to throw at.’ The corresponding Modern High German verb schmeißen, ‘cacare’ (Middle High German smeizen, ‘cacare’), is a factitive of smîȥen. See schmißen.
schmelzen, verb, ‘to melt, dissolve,’ from the equivalent Middle High German smëlzen, Old High German smëlzan; also as factitive Modern High German schmelzen, Middle High German and Old High German smęlzen, ‘to smelt, liquefy’; compare English to smelt. The pre-Teutonic root smeld, contained in these words and in the allied term Schmalz, is cognate with the root meld (see Malz), and Greek μέλδω, ‘to melt.’ From the Teutonic cognates the Romance terms, Italian smalto and French émail, ‘enamel,’ are usually derived.
Schmergel, masculine, ‘emery,’ early Modern High German only, from the equivalent Italian smeriglio.
Schmerl, masculine, Schmerlin, ‘merlin,’ from Middle High German smirl, masculine, smirlîn, ‘mountain falcon,’ Old High German smirl, masculine, Old Icelandic smyrell; loan-words from Ron.; compare Italian smerlo, smeriglione, French émerillon, ‘stone-falcon’; English merlin comes from French. The Romance name of the bird is usually derived from Latin merula, ‘blackbird’; “it is said that the Latin word is applied to a bird similar to the blackbird.”
Schmerle, feminine, ‘loach,’ from Middle High German smërl, smërle, feminine, ‘loach, groundling’; Middle High German also smërlinc, masculine, and smërlîn, neuter; of obscure origin.
Schmerz, masculine, ‘pain,’ from the equivalent Middle High German smërz, masculine, Old High German smërzo, masculine, smërza, feminine; allied to Old High German smërzan, verb, Middle High German smërzen, ‘to smart, pain,’ Anglo-Saxon smeortan, ‘to pain, smart,’ English smart, verb and substantive Middle English smerte, English smart, adjective, make it probable that the cognates are related to Latin mordêre, ‘to bite,’ Greek σμερδνός, σμερδαλεός, ‘horrible'; the Aryan root smerd, Teutonic smert, signifies perhaps ‘to stick, bite.’ Compare bitter.
Schmetten, see Schmant.
Schmetterling, masculine, ‘butterfly,’ Modern High German only; in the earlier periods a term closely connected with Modern High German Falter (Zweifalter) is used. In most of the Modern High German dialects this literary term is also wanting; in Bavarian müllermaler (so too in the Fulda dialectic) or sommervogel, Suabian baufalter or weifalter. In other dialects occur Milchdieb, Molkendieb (Westphalian also molkentövener, smantlecker), Low German Buttervogel or Butterfliege (Anglo-Saxon butorfleóge, English butterfly), which may perhaps explain Modern High German Schmetterling. The latter term is probably derived from Modern High German Schmetten, ‘cream,’ which, like Schmetterling, is native to the eastern part of Middle ​Germany (see Schmant). Compare further Dutch vlinder.
schmettern, verb, ‘to hurl, smash, bray (of trumpets), peal (of thunder),’ Middle High German smetern, ‘to clatter,’ an onomatopoetic word.
Schmied, masculine, ‘smith,’ from Middle High German smit, Old High German smid, masculine, ‘worker in metal.’ Gothic aiza-smiþa, ‘smith,’ literally ‘worker in brass,’ and ga-smiþôn, ‘to work (do smith’s work),’ show that the High German meaning is specialisation of the signification ‘faber, worker in art’; Old Icelandic smiðr, masculine, ‘worker in metal or wood’; compare Anglo-Saxon smiþ, English smith, Dutch smid. Modern High German Schmiede, feminine, based on Schmied, is derived from the equivalent Middle High German smitte, Old High German smitta, feminine, ‘smithy,’ which again comes from Gothic *smiþjo (þj became þþj in West Teutonic, and the þþ was permutated to tt in High German; compare Fittich); compare Old Icelandic smiðja, Anglo-Saxon smiþþe, feminine, English smithy, and the equivalent Dutch smisse. With the root smī̆, ‘to work artistically in hard material — wood, brass,’ preserved in Gothic *smi-þa, masculine, are connected Old High German smeidar, ‘artist, artifex daedalus,’ and the words discussed under Geschmeide. Compare also Greek σμΐλη ‘graving tool,’ σμι-νύη, ‘hoe.’ For its connection with other terms see under schmeicheln.
schmiegen, verb, ‘to wind, incline; (reflexive) twine, nestle,’ from Middle High German smiegen (Old High German *smiogan is by chance not recorded), ‘to cling close to, contract, stoop’; compare Anglo-Saxon smûgan, ‘to creep,’ Old Icelandic smjúga, ‘to creep through something’; the primary idea of these cognates, which do not occur elsewhere in Teutonic, is ‘to press closely to anything and to be swayed by its movements.’ Teutonic root smū̆g, from pre-Teutonic smū̆k; compare Old Slovenian smykati sę, ‘to creep,’ Lithuanian smùkti, ‘to slide.’ See schmücken and schmageln.
Schmiele, feminine, ‘hair-grass, bulrush,’ from the equivalent Middle High German smilehe, smëlehe, feminine; Old High German *smëlaha, smilaha, or rather smëlawa, smilawa, and Gothic *smilhwi, feminine, are wanting; allied to Middle High German smëlhe, adjective, ‘narrow.’
Schmieralien, plural, ‘bribes,’ Modern High German only, formed like Lappalien (trifles), with a foreign suffix from a German stem; compare also Schwulität. Allied to schmieren, Middle High German smirn, smirwen, ‘to smear, salve, bribe,’ Old High German smirwen, a denominative of Schmeer.
Schminke, feminine, ‘paint (for the face), rouge,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sminke, smicke, feminine, allied to Old High German smëcchar, smëhhar, adjective ‘fine, pretty,’ Anglo-Saxon smicere, ‘fine, pretty.’ These are connected with schmeicheln (root smaikw?). Compare Danish smigre, Swedish smickra, ‘to flatter,’ English to smicker, ‘to ogle.’
Schmiß, masculine, ‘blow, stroke, trick,’ Modern High German only, allied to Middle High German smiz, ‘spot’ (smîȥen, ‘to strike’).
schmitzen, verb, ‘to lash, whip,’ from Middle High German smitzen, ‘to beat with rods, scourge, besmear.’ To this is allied Modern High German verschmitzt ‘wily, cunning,’ literally ‘beaten away.’
Schmöker, masculine, Modern High German only, properly ‘smoker,’ then ‘book strongly scenting of tobacco’; allied to Low German smöken; see Schmauch.
schmollen, verb, ‘to pout, be sulky,’ from Middle High German smollen, ‘to be silent from vexation, pout.’ also ‘to smile’; a late form of Middle High German smielen, ‘to smile’; see schmeicheln.
Schmollis, masculine, ‘good-fellowship, fraternisation,’ Modern High German only; its history is obscure, yet it seems to be connected with Dutch smullen, ‘to feast, gormandize’ (see Schmaus), smul, ‘feast, good cheer.’
schmoren, verb, ‘to swelter, stew, fry,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German and Dutch smoren, ‘to roast, stew,’ also ‘to stifle, fume’; compare Anglo-Saxon smorian, ‘to stifle.’ Those who regard ‘to roast, stew,’ as the primary meaning of the cognates may trace Anglo-Saxon smorian to Gothic smuzôn, and explain Modern High German Schmaus from some such original sense as ‘cook-shop.’ Yet Anglo-Saxon and Middle English smorþer, ‘steam,’ English smother, probably points to a root with a final r.
Schmuck, masculine, ‘adornment, finery,’ Modern High German only, in Middle High German gesmuc, ‘adornment, embellishment,’ allied to schmücken, Middle High German smücken, ‘to wind, press close, dress, adorn.’ The Teutonic root smug (pre-Teutonic smuk) in schmiegen, of which schmücken is an intensive form, was frequently used originally to form words signifying ‘to dress,’ and is also found in the name of a sort of under-garment or shirt, Old High German smoccho, Anglo-Saxon smocc (compare English smock). The adjective schmuck, ‘tidy, smart,’ Modern High German only, is derived from Low German (compare North Frisian smok), whence also English smug (or from Danish smuk).
schmuggeln, verb, ‘to smuggle,’ Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent Low German smuggeln; compare Dutch smokkeln, English to smuggle (borrowed from the same source?). The originally word is connected with the root smug, ​‘to wind,’ to which the secondary sense of ‘secrecy’ may belong; compare Dutch smuigen, ‘to enjoy oneself secretly.’
schmunzeln, verb, ‘to smile good-naturedly, simper,’ frequentative of Middle High German smutzen, smotzen, ‘to smirk, smile good-naturedly,’ to which Middle High German smutz, Modern High German (dialectic) Schmutz, ‘kiss,’ is also probably allied. It is perhaps connected with Schmatz, schmatzen (from Middle High German smackezen).
Schmus, masculine, ‘talk, chaffering,’ Modern High German only; from Hebrew schĕmûôth, ‘news, tales’; hence Dutch smousen, ‘to chaffer’?.
Schmutz, masculine, ‘dirt, filth,’ from the equivalent Middle High German smuz (-tzes), masculine, allied to Middle High German smotzen, ‘to be dirty’; also to Dutch smet, ‘spot, dirt,’ smetten, ‘to get stained,’ smodderen, ‘to soil,’ English smut, verb and substantive, Middle English bismitten, bismoteren, bismudden, ‘to stain, soil.’ It is uncertain whether these words are late graded forms of Middle High German smitzen, ‘to rub over.’
Schnabel, masculine, ‘beak, bill,’ from the equivalent Middle High German snabel, masculine, Old High German snabul, masculine; corresponding to Dutch snavel, ‘beak, trunk’ (of an elephant), sneb, ‘beak,’ Old Frisian snavel, ‘mouth.’ To these, from the relation of Malz to schmelzen (Aryan root meld, smeld), the following are also allied — Dutch neb, feminine, ‘beak,’ English nib, Anglo-Saxon nębb, ‘beak, face,’ Old Icelandic nef, neuter, ‘nose’ (as well as ‘sharp-scented’). From Teutonic are derived the cognates of Italian niffo, ‘snout, trunk.’ Teutonic snabja-, snabala- (from an Aryan root snap, nap), agrees with Lithuanian snápas, ‘beak.’ Compare schnappen, Schnepfe, and Schneppe.
Schnack, masculine, ‘chit-chat, talk,’ Modern High German only, formed from Middle German, Low German, and Dutch snakken, ‘to chatter, babble’; to this is allied Modern High German Schnake, ‘merry tale,’ from Low German, also ‘merry fellow.’ Compare Dutch snaak, ‘buffoon.’
Schnake, feminine, ‘gnat, midge,’ from the equivalent Middle High German snâke, masculine and feminine; the sounds point to Old High German *snâko (from the base *snâggo; compare Hafen, from the base *hâggo). The properly Low German schnake, feminine, ‘water-snake,’ is different from this word, and corresponds to English snake, Anglo-Saxon snăcu, ‘snake,’ Old Icelandic snákr, snókr, ‘snake’ (Swedish snok, ‘water-snake’).
Schnalle, feminine, ‘buckle, clasp,’ from Middle High German snalle, feminine, ‘buckle,’ shoe-buckle,’ allied to Middle High German snal, masculine, ‘quick movement’ (for the proper term for buckle see Rinken). Hence the word is probably named from the rapid movement of the spring. See the following word and schnell.
schnalzen, verb ‘to smack, snap, crack,’ from Middle High German snalzen, intensive of snallen, ‘to move with a noise peculiar to the rapid movement of the fingers or the tongue’; allied to Schnalle.
schnappen, verb, ‘to snap, snatch,’ from Middle High German (Middle German) snappen, ‘to snap, chatter.’ The latter, like Dutch snappen (English to snap), is an intensive of Middle High German snaben, ‘to snap, snort’; allied to the root snab contained in Schnabel. — Modern High German schnappen (dialectic), ‘to limp,’ Middle High German snappen, ‘to stumble,’ is etymologically distinct from this verb.
Schnapphahn, masculine, ‘highwayman,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German snaphan; yet it seems that the word signified originally a sort of musket, although this meaning is first recorded at the end of the 17th century, and hence is later than ‘mounted highwayman,’ which occurs even in the 15th century; the signification ‘musket’ was afterwards transferred to the man armed with such a weapon. Compare Dutch snaphaan, ‘gun, musket, bandit.’
Schnaps, masculine,. ‘dram, glass of gin or brandy, liquor,’ from the equivalent Low German snapps, which means literally ‘draught, mouthful,’ and is connected with schnappen.
schnarchen, verb, ‘to snore, snort,’ from the equivalent Middle High German snarchen, snarcheln; allied to Middle High German snarren, ‘to rattle, crash,’ like hor-chen to hören. Compare Dutch snorken, ‘to snore, chatter, boast’; also Middle English snun-ten, ‘to snore,’ with a different intensive suffix, English to snort (compare Middle High German snar-z, ‘twittering of the swallow,’ also an abusive epithet), and without a suffix Middle English snorin (Anglo-Saxon *snorian), English to snore. From the root snar numerous terms have been formed in imitation of sound (see also schnarren and schnurren); compare Dutch snorren, ‘to hum, whiz, chirp,’ English to snarl, and snurls, ‘nostrils,’ and in the non-Teutonic languages perhaps Lithuanian snarglýs, ‘snot.’
schnarren, verb, ‘to rattle, drone,’ from Middle High German snarren, ‘to rattle, crash, chatter’; see the preceding word. — To this is allied Schnarre, ‘landrail,’ Modern High German only, in Middle High German snarz, ‘landrail.’
schnattern, verb, ‘cackle, gabble, chatter,’ from Middle High German snateren, ‘to cackle, croak (of frogs), clatter (of storks), chatter’; compare Dutch snater, ‘beak,’ snateren, ‘to chatter, boast.’ The stem is not found elsewhere.
schnauben, verb, ‘to snort,’ from Middle High German (Middle German) snûben, ‘to snore’; compare Dutch snuiven, ‘to snort.’ From the ​corresponding Dutch snûven is usually derived Modern High German schnaufeu, which, however, may come from Middle High German snûfen, ‘to snuff.’ The Teutonic root is snupp, snū̆f, snū̆b. Compare Schnupfen.
Schnaue, feminine, ‘snow’ (vessel), from the equivalent Low German snau, Dutch snaauw, whence also English snow, French senau; “orig. a ship with a beak, from Low German snau, ‘beak.’” Yet compare also Old High German snacga, ‘navis rostrata’?.
Schnauze, feminine, ‘snout, muzzle, nozzle,’ Modern High German only; an imitation of Low German snûte, Dutch snuit, ‘snout,’ though wrongly influenced in its dental sound perhaps by Middle High German sniutzen, Modern High German schneuzen; compare English snout and the equivalent Middle English snoute. The form with a correctly permutated Middle High German ȥ, equivalent to Modern High German sz, is preserved in Modern High German (dialectic) schnaußen, ‘to snarl, junket, suck.’ For further remarks see schneuzen.
Schnecke, feminine, ‘snail, slug, spiral staircase,’ from Middle High German snëcke, masculine, ‘snail, tortoise, spiral staircase,’ Old High German snëcko, masculine, ‘snail’; corresponding to Low German snigge (Gothic *snigga, masculine, is wanting). Gothic *snagils is implied by Middle High German snęgel, Modern High German (Hessian) Schnegel, ‘snail,’ Low German snagel, Anglo-Saxon snœgel, English snail. Compare further Old Icelandic snigell.
Schnee, masculine, ‘snow,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sné, Old High German snêo, masculine; a common Teutonic term which may be traced back to Old Aryan; this is all the more remarkable, since no words common to the Aryan group can be adduced for ‘hail’ and ‘rain.’ Gothic snaiws, Old Icelandic snœ́r, Anglo-Saxon snâw, English snow, Dutch sneeuw. The common Teutonic snaiwa-z, masculine, ‘snow,’ from an earlier snoigó-s (prior to the Old High German permutation snoighwós) corresponds to Old Slovenian sněgu, Lithuanian snégas, ‘snow’; allied to the Teutonic root snī̆w, from pre-Teutonic snī̆gh, preserved in Modern High German schneien Middle High German snîen, Old High German snîwan. To this corresponds Latin ninguere, ‘to snow,’ and nix (nivis), ‘snow,’ Greek νέφει, ‘it snows’ (φ equivalent to ghw), accusative γίφα, ‘snow’ (all these have lost an initial s before n); Lithuanian snìgti, ‘to snow,’ Old Irish snechta, ‘snow,’ Zend snìż, ‘to snow.’ The Sanscrit root snih, ‘to become damp, melt away,’ is divergent in meaning; it must also be noted that the term for ‘snow’ differs in most of the Aryan dialects (Zend vafra, ‘snow’). Thus we have a West Aryan and Persian (but not an Indian and Armenian) verbal root snī̆gh, ‘to now’; the term ‘snow’ is of more recent origin. See Winter.
Schneide, feminine, ‘(cutting) edge, snare, gin,’ from Middle High German snîde, feminine, ‘edge of a sword or a knife’; allied to schneiden, from Middle High German snîden, Old High German snîdan, ‘to cut, carve, make (clothes)’; compare Gothic sneiþan, ‘to cut, reap,’ Old Icelandic snìða, Anglo-Saxon snîþan (obsolete at the beginning of the Middle English period), Dutch snijden, Old Saxon snîthan. A common Teutonic verb from the root snī̆þ (snī̆d), ‘to cut,’ which has to correspondences in the other Aryan languages. See schnitzen. —
Schneider, masculine, ‘cutter, tailor,’ from the equivalent Middle High German snîdœre, masculine, is connected with the meaning of Middle High German snîden.
schneien, see Schnee.
Schneise, feminine, ‘path hewn through a wood,’ in this sense a Middle German and Low German word, in Middle High German sneite; both are derived from schneiden. The word also signifies ‘noose, snare.’
schneiteln, schneideln, verb, ‘to lop, prune,’ from late Middle High German (also sneiten), ‘to strip of the branches.’ Allied to schneiden.
schnell, adjective, ‘quick, speedy, hasty,’ from Middle High German snël (ll), adjective, ‘quick, nimble, brave,’ Old High German snël (ll); compare Old Saxon and Anglo-Saxon snël (ll), ‘fresh, energetic, courageous,’ Scotch snell, ‘bitter’ (compare English keen in the same sense, Modern High German kühn), Dutch snel, Old Icelandic snjallr, ‘eloquent, capable, brave.’ The earlier meaning (compare the Modern High German), was much more general, equivalent perhaps to ‘capable’; compare bald. This common Teutonic adjective, unknown only to Gothic, passed into Romance; compare the cognates of Italian snello, ‘quick, lively.’ The origin of the Teutonic adjective is obscure. — Compare Schnalle. Modern High German schnellen, verb, ‘to jerk, toss,’ from Middle High German snellen (preterite snalte), ‘to send off with a jerk; move on rapidly.’
Schnepfe, feminine, ‘snipe,’ from the equivalent Middle High German snëpfe, masculine, Old High German snëpfo, masculine, snëpfa, feminine; compare Dutch snep, Middle English snîpe, English snipe, from the root snī̆pp. Also Anglo-Saxon snîte, English snite?. The High German word passed as sgneppa into the Italian dialects. The origin of the cognates is obscure.
Schneppe, feminine, ‘nozzle, spout,’ Modern High German only, a phonetic rendering of the earlier Low German snebbe. Compare Dutch sneb, ‘beak’; hence connected with Schnabel.
schneuzen, verb, ‘to blow one's nose, snuff (a candle),’ from the equivalent Middle High German sniuzen, Old High German snûzen; compare the equivalent Dutch snuiten; Old Icelandic snýta. To this Schnauze is allied. The Teutonic root snût appears as snutt in Middle High German snuz, ‘clogging of the ​nose,’ Dutch snot, ‘snot’ (snottolf, ‘snotty nose’), Anglo-Saxon snot (tt), English snot. Allied to a Teutonic root snū̆þ, in Middle High German snudel, snuder, ‘stoppage of the nose,’ Middle High German and Old High German snûden, ‘to snort, snore.’
schniegeln, verb, ‘to trim up, dress smartly,’ Modern High German only, allied to a dialectic Schniegel, ‘adornment, finery’; unknown to the older dialects. Of obscure origin.
Schnippchen, neuter, ‘snap’ (of the fingers), Modern High German only, allied to schnippen, Middle High German snipfen, (Middle German) snippen, ‘to snap.’ Akin to schnippeln, ‘to snip, chip,’ formed from Low German; compare Dutch snippelen, ‘to cut in pieces, mutilate,’ English snip. —
schnippig, adjective, ‘snappish,’ Modern High German only, formed from Dutch snebbig, ‘flippant,’ which is connected with sneb, ‘beak’; allied also to Middle English snibbin, ‘to blame’?.
Schnitt, masculine, ‘cut, incision, slice, fashion,’ from Middle High German and Old High German snit, ‘cut, wound, circumcision, harvest’; allied to schneiden. So too Schnitte, feminine, ‘cut, slice, chop,’ from Middle High German snite, Old High German snita, feminine, ‘slice of bread, morsel. —
Schnittlauch, masculine, ‘chive,’ from Middle High German snitilouch, Old High German snitilouh, literally ‘leek for cutting.’ —
schnitzen, verb, ‘to cut, carve, chip,’ Middle High German snitzen, intensive of schneiden, ‘to cut in pieces, carve.’ —
Schnitzer, masculine, ‘blunder,’ allied to sich schneiden, ‘to deceive oneself’? or to Schnitzel, ‘trifle’?.
schnoben, verb, ‘to snuff, pant,’ Modern High German only, formed from schnauben; so too schnobern, ‘to sniff.’
schnöde, adj, ‘worthless, base, vile, insolent,’ from Middle High German snœde, adjective, ‘contemptible, poor, pitiable, trifling, bad, arrogant, ruthless’; in Middle High German the passive sense preponderates, so too in Luther. From the 17th century the modern active signification ‘contemptuous’ appears. Old High German *snôdi is not recorded; compare Dutch snood, ‘base, malicious’; Old Icelandic snauðr, ‘poor, needy,’ sneyða, ‘to rob,’ Anglo-Saxon besnyþian, ‘to rob.’ Akin to Old Icelandic snoðenn, ‘thin-haired’; this meaning also belongs to Middle High German snœde, which is therefore identical in form with Middle High German besnoten, Modern High German (dialectic) beschnotten, ‘close, sparing.’ The pre-Teutonic root snaut. snū̆t, appearing in these cognates, probably meant originally ‘needy’; it is scarcely connected perhaps with Middle High German and Old High German snûden (see schneuzen), ‘to mock, scorn.’
Schnörkel, masculine, ‘spiral, scroll,’ Modern High German only, probably akin to Old High German snarha, snaraha, feminine, ‘noose’?.
Schnucke, feminine, ‘sheep with a short tail,’ Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent Low German snucke.
schnüffeln, verb, ‘to sniff, smell,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German and Dutch snuffelen, ‘to smell,’ allied to Dutch snuf, ‘scenting’; compare English to snuff, sniff, to snivel (also the substantive snivel, Anglo-Saxon snofl); see the following word.
Schnupfen, masculine, ‘cold (in the head), rheum,’ from the equivalent Middle High German snū̆pfe, masculine and feminine. The Teutonic root snū̆pp contained in these words, with which Schnuppe and Old Icelandic snoppa, feminine, ‘snout,’ are connected, is identical with the Teutonic root snuf (snū̆b) in schnauben and schnüffeln. It may be also allied to the Aryan roots snū̆p and snū̆t (in schneuzen).
Schnuppe, feminine, ‘candle-snuff,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German snuppe, literally das Schneuzen, ‘blowing one's nose,’ schneuzen being also used of ‘snuffing a candle’; compare Dutch snuiten, ‘to blow one's nose, snuff a candle,’ English snuff.
Schnur (1.), feminine, ‘string, cord, line,’ from Middle High German and Old High German snuor, feminine, ‘string, bond, rope’; compare Gothic snôrjô, feminine, ‘basket, basket-work,’ Old Icelandic snœre, ‘twisted cord,’ Dutch snoer, ‘string’; allied to the Aryan root snô, snē̆, ‘to plait’ (compare nähen), with which Anglo-Saxon snô-d, ‘fillet,’ as well as Old Irish snáth, ‘thread,’ is connected.
Schnur (2.), feminine (mostly obsolete in the dialects e.g., Swiss and Bavarian), ‘daughter-in-law,’ from the equivalent Middle High German snur (snuor), Old High German snura (snora), feminine; with this is connected the equivalent derivative Middle High German snürche (Old High German *snurihha). Corresponding to Middle Low German snore, Anglo-Saxon snoru, Middle English snore (obsolete in English), Old Frisian snore, Old Icelandic snor, snør, ‘daughter-in-law’ (Gothic *snuzô, feminine, is by chance not recorded). A common Aryan term for ‘daughter-in-law’ (compare also other terms common to Aryan for degrees of relationship, such as Sohn, Tochter, &c.), in the Aryan form snusã (Sanscrit snušã, Old Slovenian snŭcha), and Aryan snusū̆s, in Latin nurus (for snusus), Greek νυός (for *σνυσύς). Aryan snusã, wife,’ has been regarded as a derivative of Aryan sū̆nū̆-, ‘son,’ on account of Söhnerin, the Suabian term for Schnur.
schnurren, verb, ‘to hum, whiz, buzz, purr,’ from Middle High German snurren, ‘to rustle, drink (of beasts).’ Allied to Modern High German Schnurre, feminine, ‘humming-top, farce,’ and the derivative schnurrig, ‘droll’; compare Old High German snurring, Middle High German snürrinc (also snurrœre), ​'buffoon, fool'; perhaps Narr, ‘fool,’ Old High German narro, is a cognate term. —
Schnurre, Schnorre, feminine, ‘snout, mouth,’ genuine Upper German, though not recorded in Middle High German and Old High German; literally perhaps ‘that which drinks or purrs.’
Schnute, feminine, ‘muzzle, snout,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German snûte; see Schnauze.
Schober, masculine, ‘stack, rick,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schober, Old High German scobar, masculine;. allied, like Schaub, to schieben.
Schock, neuter, ‘shock, heap, threescore,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schoc, masculine; compare Old Saxon scok, ‘threescore,’ Dutch schok, ‘threescore.’ Originally used perhaps only of sixty sheaves; compare Middle High German schocken, ‘to put com in a heap,’ schoche, ‘rick,’ schoc, ‘heap.’ See Stiege.
schofel, adjective, ‘paltry,’ Modern High German only, formed from Hebrew schâfêl, ‘low.’
Schöffe, masculine, ‘assessor, sheriff, juryman,’ from Middle High German schęffe, schępfe, schęffen, masculine, ‘presiding judge, assessor,’ Old High German scęffin, scaffin, and scęffino, with the same sense; compare Old Low German scępino, ‘assessor,’ Dutch schepen, ‘sheriff.’ The term is not found before the time of Charlemagne, who first created the office of assessor; yet the origin and form of the word points to an earlier period, although Gothic *skapja or *skapeins and the corresponding words in Old Icelandic and Anglo-Saxon are wanting. Teutonic skapjan (see schaffen) also signified ‘to arrange, decree, decide,’ hence Schöffe, literally ‘ordainer’?. From Teutonic the office and the term applied to it passed into Romance as Middle Latin scabînus; compare Italian scabino, French échevin.
Scholle (1.), feminine, ‘clod, floe,’ from the equivalent Middle High German scholle, masculine, Old High German scolla, feminine, scollo, masculine; compare Dutch schol, ‘clod, floe’; properly a participle of the root skel, ‘that which is split,’ and is therefore allied to Schale, and with Gothic skilja, ‘butcher,’ Old Icelandic skilja, ‘to divide, separate’;. also with Old Saxon scola, Anglo-Saxon sčęŏlu (equivalent to English shoal).
Scholle (2.), feminine, ‘plaice, sole,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German; compare the equivalent Dutch schol.
Schöllkraut, see Schellkraut.
schon, adverb, ‘already, even,’ from Middle High German schôn, schône, adverb, from schœne, adjective, ‘beautiful'; the Modern High German sense occurs very seldom in Middle High German, and is entirely unknown to the courtly poets; Middle High German schône, Old High German scôno, ‘in a handsome manner,’ are formed without the mutation of schön; compare fast from fest.
schön, adjective, ‘beautiful, handsome, fine,’ from Middle High German schœne, Old High German scôni, ‘shining, bright, splendid, beautiful'; compare Old Saxon skôni, ‘shining, light, beautiful,’ Anglo-Saxon sčŷne, ‘beautiful,’ English sheen. Originally ‘perceptible, worth seeing, noteworthy’ (compare laut, literally ‘that which is heard’); a verbal adjective from the Teutonic root skau, ‘to look,’ in Old High German scouwôn (for the formation of the word see rein). Gothic has preserved only the cognate compounds, guþaskaunei, ‘form of God,’ and ibnaskauns, ‘of like appearance with,’ which imply a Gothic *skauns, ‘form’?. At all events, they show that the modern sense ‘beautiful’ did not originally belong to the word. With the same root are connected the words adduced under schauen and Old Icelandic skjóne, ‘dapple-grey horse,’ skjóme, ‘ray.’ See schon, schonen, and especially schauen.
Schönbartspiel neuter, ‘mummery, carnival play,’ a corruption of Middle High German schëmebart, masculine (also schëme-houbet), ‘mask,’ connecting the word with the adjective schön; schëmebart is properly ‘bearded mask,’ from Middle High German schëme, masculine, ‘shadow, mask.’
schonen, verb, ‘to take care (of), spare, economise,’ from early Middle High German schônen, ‘to treat indulgently, spare'; compare Dutch schoonen; a derivative of the adjective schön. Old Icelandic skaunn,, masculine, ‘shield,’ is not allied.
Schoner, masculine, Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent English schooner.
Schooß, see Schoß.
Schopf (1.), masculine, ‘top, crest, tuft,’ from Middle High German schopf, masculine, ‘hair on the top of the head,’ Old High German *scopf, and Gothic *skuppa- are wanting; in Old High German and Gothic skuft is used, Old Icelandic skopt, ‘hair of the head,’ allied also to Old Icelandic skupla, ‘old woman's hat.’ In the non-Teutonic languages corresponding terms are wanting.
Schopf (2.), Upper German shed, stable'; see Schuppen
schöpfen, verb, ‘to draw (water, &c.),’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German schępfen; compare Old Saxon skęppian, Dutch scheppen, ‘to draw (water).’ The verbal root skap does not occur elsewhere in this sense; the same dialects have also corresponding noun derivatives. Under Scheffel a root skap, ‘to contain,’ is deduced; with this the cognates of schaffen are also primitively allied. See Schoppen.
Schöpfer, masculine, ‘creator,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schępfœre, Old High German scępfâri, allied to Middle High German scępfen (scaffan), ‘to create.’
Schöppe, masculine, Low German form of Schöffe.
​ Schoppen (1.), masculine, ‘pint,’ Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent Low German schopen; connected with Middle High German schuofe, feminine, ‘scoop’?.
Schoppen (2.), see Schuppen.
Schöps, masculine, ‘wether, mutton, simpleton,’ an East Middle German and Bavarian word (unknown to Hessian, Rhenish, and Franconian), from Middle High German schöpeȥ, schopeȥ, masculine, ‘wether, mutton’; borrowed in the Middle High German period from Slavonic. Compare Czech skopec, ‘wether,’ Old Slovenian skopĭcĭ, ‘eunuch,’ allied to skopiti, ‘to castrate.’
Schorf, masculine, ‘scurf, scab,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schorf, Old High German scorf, masculine; corresponding to Middle Dutch scorf, Modern Dutch schurft, Anglo-Saxon sčęorf, scurf, English scurf, Icelandic skurfur, ‘scurf, scab.’ Compare schürfen.
Schornstein, masculine, ‘chimney,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schornstein, schorstein, masculine; compare Dutch schoorsteen; probably allied to Anglo-Saxon sčęorian, ‘to project,’ English to shore, Dutch schoor, ‘support, brace’?.
Schoß (1.), masculine, ‘‘shoot, sprout, sprig,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schoȥ (ȥȥ), neuter, and with the same meaning even Old High German scoȥ, neuter, and scoȥȥa, feminine; allied to the root skū̆t, ‘to shoot.’ From the Old High German word with the Low German dental is derived French écot, ‘stump of a tree.’ To this Modern High German Schößling, from Middle High German schüȥȥelinc, is allied.
Schoß (2.), ‘tax, scot,’ from Middle High German (Middle German) schoȥ, masculine, ‘tax, rent’; compare Dutch schot, Anglo-Saxon sčęot (English scot), ‘tax, score.’ The great antiquity of the West Teutonic cognates is attested by the Romance loan-words, Italian scotto, ‘score,’ French écot, ‘score.’ The Teutonic words are formed from the root skū̆t, ‘to shoot,’ which in Anglo-Saxon sceótan, ‘to shoot,’ has also the secondary meaning, ‘to contribute money.’
Schoß (3.), Schooß, masculine, ‘lap,’ from Middle High German schôȥ, masculine, feminine, and neuter, Old High German scôȥ, scôȥo, scôȥa, masculine and feminine, ‘skirt of a garment, petticoat, lap’ (to this Lombardic scoss, ‘lap,’ is allied). Compare Gothic skauts, masculine, ‘border, hem of a garment,’ Old Icelandic skaut, neuter, ‘tuft, corner, end, skirt,’ Anglo-Saxon sčeát, ‘corner, wedge, bosom’ (whence Anglo-Saxon sčŷte, ‘cloth,’ English sheet), Dutch schoot; allied to the root skū̆t, ‘to shoot.’ It is uncertain whether the original sense was a descending or hanging part of the dress or a projecting corner of the land, or whether (as in the similar cases of Franse and Gehren) the skirt was so named from its resemblance to a missile?. See Schote (2).
Schote, Schaude, masculine, ‘simpleton,’ ModHigh German only, formed from Hebrew schôtèh, ‘foolish.’
Schote (1.), feminine, ‘pod, cod, shell,’ from Middle High German schôte, schotte, feminine, ‘pod, seed-case, pericarp’; allied to Old Icelandic skauðer, plural, ‘sheath.’ Connected with the root skū̆, ‘to cover,’ which is discussed under Scheune.
Schote (2.), feminine, ‘sheet’ (of a sail), Modern High German only, formed from Low German; compare Dutch schooten, Anglo-Saxon sčeáta, ‘pes veli’ (sceát-lîne, ‘propes’), English sheet. These are identical with High German Schoß (3). The Anglo-Saxon word is recorded the earliest; compare Boot, Ebbe. From Low German is also derived Italian scotta, ‘cable.’
schraffieren, verb, ‘to hatch (drawings),’ Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent Dutch schrafferen (Italian sgraffiare).
schräg, adjective, ‘aslant, oblique,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German (rare) schręge; allied to Upper German Schragen, from Middle High German schrage, masculine, ‘wooden cross-legs of a table’; compare Dutch schraag, ‘aslant, trestle.’ Probably from an Aryan root skrak, ‘to be aslant,’ which, with the final consonant modified and nasalised, appears as skrang in schränken.
Schramme, feminine, ‘slight wound or scratch,’ from Middle High German schram (mm), feminine, ‘sword wound’; compare Dutch schram, ‘scratch,’ Old Icelandic skráma, ‘wound’; allied to Middle High German schramen, ‘to open, tear open,’ schram, ‘hole.’
Schrank, masculine, ‘cupboard, chest, press,’ from Middle High German schranc (k), masculine, ‘that which shuts off, railing, enclosure, barrier, enclosing, space shut off, cupboard.’ From the meaning ‘enclosure, space shut off,’ which still appears in the feminine form Schranke, the early Modern High German signification ‘cupboard’ was developed. The corresponding Old High German scranch, masculine, ‘deception, deceit,’ points to the verb schränken, root skrank, ‘oblique.’ The substantive does not occur elsewhere; in Franconian, Hessian, and Low German Schank is used; in Swiss chašte or šăfrâti, Alsatian špint. See the following words.
Schranke, feminine, ‘railing, barrier, limit,’ from Middle High German schranke, feminine, with the same meanings as Middle High German schranc, masculine; see the preceding word.
schränken, verb, ‘to cross, entwine, enclose with a railing, limit,’ from Middle High German schręnken, ‘to lay aslant, fence in, plait,’ Old High German skręnchen, ‘to lay aslant, deceive,’ Middle English schręnchen, ‘to cheat.’ The root implied is Teutonic skrank, Aryan skrang (see ​Schrank), which is identical with the Aryan root skrak appearing in schräg.
Schranz, masculine, ‘flatterer, parasite; slit, cleft,’ from Middle High German schranz, masculine, ‘breach, rift, cleft, hole, wound, slashed garment, an overdressed young man (with slashed sleeves, &c.), fop’; with the last of these varied meanings Modern High German Hofschranze, ‘flattering courtier,’ is connected. On the other hand, the primary meaning ‘rift’ points to a connection with Schrunde, so that two roots skrant and skrand, have to be assumed in Teutonic.
schrappen, verb, ‘to scrape,’ Modern High German only, from Low German schrappen, an intensive form of Dutch schrapen, schrabben, ‘to scratch,’ Middle English scrapien (schrapien), English to scrape, Old Icelandic skrapa. From the Low German cognates Old French escraper, ‘to scratch off,’ is derived. See further under schröpfen and schrubben.
Schraube, feminine, ‘screw,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German schrûbe, feminine; allied to Dutch schroef (English screw), Icelandic skrúfa; these terms, some of which may have been borrowed, and hence do not correspond exactly in sound, are essentially Modern Teutonic. Note Suabian schrauf, Bavarian schraufen (compared with Swiss štrûbe). Origin obscure.
Schreck, masculine, ‘fright, terror, scare,’ from Middle High German schrëcke, masculine, allied to schrecken, verb, from Middle High German schrëcken, Old High German scrëcchôn, ‘to start up, spring up, spring, leap'; the early sense (compare the evolution in meaning of sich entsetzen) is preserved in the compound Heuschrecke. From this verb comes the causative schręcken, ‘to cause to spring up, terrify.’ In connection with the intensive form Old High German scrëcchón, compare further Old High German scricch, Middle High German schric(ck), masculine, ‘starting up suddenly, fright'; Dutch schrikken, ‘to frighten,’ Scandinavian skrika, ‘to glide.’ The root is essentially High German.
Schrei, masculine, ‘cry, scream,’ from Middle High German schrî, schrei, Old High German screi, masculine. ‘cry, call, shout,’ allied to schreien, Middle High German schrîen, Old High German scrîan, strong verb, ‘to cry out.’ The strong verbal root skrī̆, which is without doubt genuinely Teutonic, is wanting in the other Old Teutonic dialects.
schreiben, verb, ‘to write,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schrîben, Old High German scrîban; corresponding to the equivalent Dutch schrijven, Old Saxon scrîƀan, Old Frisian skríva. Also with a remarkably divergent meaning, Anglo-Saxon scrîfan, ‘to inflict a punishment, impose penance, receive confession,’ English to shrive, Anglo-Saxon scrift, English shrift, so too Old Frisian scrîva, ‘to inflict a punishment,’ Old Icelandic skript, ‘confession, punishment,’ skripta, ‘to confess, cause to confess, punish.’ In the latter cognates there appears at all events a genuine Teutonic verbal root, skrī̆b, ‘to inflict a punishment,’ which was transferred by Christianity to ecclesiastical affairs; with this root Old Saxon biscrîƀan, ‘to concern oneself about,’ is also probably connected. On the adoption of Roman characters, and the introduction of the art of writing (in contrast to the earlier Runic system; see reißen, Buch, and Rune), Latin scrîbere was now combined with this genuine Teutonic verb, and in the South of Germany entirely supplanted the meaning of the old scrîban; compare Brief and Tinte. In Upper German especially, scrîban, ‘to write,’ took firm root, as might have been expected; in English the Anglo-Saxon verb wrîtan (English to write), originally used of scratching runes, was retained.
schreien, see Schrei.
Schrein, masculine, ‘box, chest. shrine, coffin,’ from Middle High German schrîn, masculine and neuter, ‘chest for clothes, money, or valuables, coffin,’ Old High German scrìni, neuter; compare the corresponding Dutch schrijn, Anglo-Saxon scrîn, English shrine, Scandinavian skrín. From Romance and Latin scrînium, ‘box, case for papers, &c., escritoire,’ whence also Italian scrigno, ‘clothes-press,’ French écrin, ‘casket.’ The diffusion of the term through the old West Teutonic languages makes it probable that the Latin word was borrowed at an early period, — contemporaneously with Arche, Kiste and Sack?.
schreiten, verb, ‘to step, stride, stalk,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schrîten, Old High German scrîtan, Middle High German also ‘to leap into the saddle.’ Compare Old Saxon skrîðan, skrîdan, ‘to stride, go’ (ti-scrîdan, ‘to dissolve’), Dutch schrijden, ‘to stride,’ Anglo-Saxon scrîðan, ‘to stride, go, wander’ (whence English to stride is allied?), Old Icelandic skrîða, ‘to crawl, glide.’ The signification of the Old Teutonic verbal root skrìþ (skrī̆d), Aryan skrī̆t, was at first general (perhaps ‘to move slowly’), in contrast to the special sense in Modern High German.
Schrift, feminine, ‘writing, letters, inscription,’ from Middle High German schrift, Old High German skrift, feminine, a verbal abstract from schreiben, connected with Latin scriptum.
schrill, adjective, ‘shrill,’ Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent Low German schrell; compare Middle English schrillen, English to shrill, Anglo-Saxon scralletan, ‘to sound loudly,’ Scandinavian skrölta, ‘to sound loudly.’ Teutonic and Aryan root skrel, skral.
Schritt, masculine, ‘step, stride, gait,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schrit, Old High German scrit, masculine; a ​verbal abstract from schreiten; in Old High German also scriti-mâl, -mëȥ.
schroff, adjective, ‘rugged, rough, steep,’ Modern High German only, allied to Middle High German schrof (v), schroffe, schrove, masculine, ‘rocky cliff, stone wall’; allied to early Middle High German schruffen, ‘to split,’ Old High German scrëvôn, ‘to cut into’ (scrëvanga, ‘incision’), Middle High German schraf, ‘rocky cliff,’ Anglo-Saxon scrœf, ‘cave.’
schröpfen, verb, ‘to crop young wheat, tap (trees), cup,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schrępfen, schręffen; compare Anglo-Saxon scrëpan, ‘to scratch’; also Low German schrappen, properly an intensive form. The primary meaning of the Teutonic root skrëp is ‘to scratch, cut into’ (to this scharf is allied?). Italian scaraffare, ‘to snatch away,’ is borrowed from High German.
Schrot, neuter, ‘block, log of wood, shot, groats,’ from Middle High German schrôt, masculine, ‘cut, incision, piece cut or sawed off,’ Old High German scrôt, ‘cut’; allied to schroten, Middle High German schrôten, Old High German scrôtan, ‘to hew, cut, cut off, hack to pieces,’ Middle High German also ‘to cut out clothes’ (whence schrôtœre, ‘tailor,’ and the proper name Schröter), ‘to roll, revolve.’ Compare Scandinavian skrjôðr, ‘torn book,’ Anglo-Saxon screádian, ‘to cut,’ English to shred, to which also Anglo-Saxon scrûd, ‘dress,’ English shroud, are allied. Root skrū̆d from skrū̆t?. With this is connected Latin scrûtari, ‘to examine,’ to which Anglo-Saxon scrudnian and Old High German scrotôn, ‘to examine,’ are allied?. Modern High German Hornschröter, ‘horn-beetle,’ from Middle High German schrœtel, literally ‘gnawer.’
schrötig, in ein verschrötiger Baum, ‘a tree from which four posts can be made,’ early Modern High German only, is probably connected with Old High German viorscôȥȥi, ‘four-cornered’; compare Middle Dutch vierscoot, ‘square-built, thick-set,’ earlier Low German vierschötig, ‘four-cornered’; compare Schoß (3).
schrubben, verb, ‘to scrub, rough-plane,’ Modern High German only, from Low German; compare Dutch schrobben, ‘to scour,’ English (borrowed) to scrub. Probably connected with schrappen.
Schrulle, feminine, ‘freak, whim,’ early Modern High German only, allied to Dutch schrollen, ‘to revile, be discontented.’
schrumpfen, verb, ‘to shrink, shrivel, crumble,’ from Middle High German schrimpfen, ‘to wrinkle’; allied probably to English shrimp, Dutch schrompelen, Swedish skrumpa, Danish skrumpe (English scrimp). Besides the Teutonic root skrimp contained in these cognates there is also an equivalent Teutonic root rimp (see rümpfen), krimp (compare Dutch krimpen, Anglo-Saxon crimpan, ‘to shrivel’), as well as skrink, in Anglo-Saxon sčrincan, English to shrink.
Schrunde, feminine, ‘cleft, gap, crevice,’ from Middle High German schrunde, feminine, ‘rift, notch, rocky cave’; compare the equivalent Old High German scrunta, scruntunna, Allied to Old High German scrintan, Middle High German schrinden, ‘to burst, fly open, crack.’ Teutonic root skrend, from Pre-Teutonic skrent; compare Lithuanian skrentu (skręsti), ‘to form into a crust.’
Schub, masculine, ‘shove, push, thrust,’ from Middle High German schup, masculine; allied to schieben.
schüchtern, adjective, ‘shy, timid, bashful,’ early Modern High German only, allied to scheu, root skuh (skeuh)?. It may be connected even with the abnormal Old High German skihtîg, ‘shy,’ but we must assume the influence of Middle High German schiuhen on the stem vowel; see scheu.
Schuft, masculine, ‘wretch, rascal, scamp,’ Modern High German only, formed from Low German schuft, Dutch schoft, which is usually derived from Low German schuf ût, ‘thrust out’; compare Dutch schavuit, ‘rascal,’ literally ‘scrape out’; hence Schuft, literally ‘offscouring’?.
Schuh, masculine, ‘shoe,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schuoch (h), Old High German scuoh, masculine; a common Teutonic word; compare the equivalent Old Saxon skôh, Dutch schoen, Anglo-Saxon sčęôh, English shoe, Old Icelandic skór, Gothic skôhs, masculine, which point to primitively Teutonic skôha-, skôhwa-, from pre-Teutonic *skõqos. A pre-Teutonic verbal root skē̆q (skō̆q) appears in Gothic skêwjan, Old Icelandic skœ́va, ‘to go,’ and in schicken; hence Schuh, ‘walking gear’?. See further Schuster.
Schuhu, masculine, ‘horned owl,’ Modern High German only, borrowed from French chouette (Italian ciovetta), ‘screech-owl,’ and influenced by Uhu, ‘horned owl.’
Schuld, feminine, ‘debt, crime, guilt,’ from Middle High German schult (d) and schulde. Old High German sculd, sculda, feminine, ‘obligation, debt, culpability, sin’; compare Old Saxon sculd, feminine, ‘debt, culpability, sin’; Anglo-Saxon sčyld, ‘guilt, sin.’ An old verbal abstract from the root skal, which appears also in Lithuanian skolà, ‘guilt,’ skìlti, ‘to get into debt,’ and skelěti, ‘to be indebted,’ as well as in Prussian skallisnan, ‘duty’; Latin scelus does not appear to be connected with it.
Schule, feminine, ‘school,’ from Middle High German schuole, feminine, ‘school, university,’ Old High German scuola, feminine, ‘school’; compare Dutch school, Anglo-Saxon scôl (scôlu), English school (Old Icelandic skôle, ‘school,’ is of English origin). Borrowed at the same period as the ecclesiastical words from Latin scôla, as pronounced in Romance scôla (with regard to Latin ŏ see prüfen); compare Brief, Dom, and Priester. —
Schüler, masculine, ‘scholar, pupil,’ Middle High German schuolœre, Old Low German scuolâri.
​ Schulter, feminine, ‘shoulder,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schulter, Old High German scultarra, feminine, corresponding to Dutch schouder, Anglo-Saxon sculdor, English shoulder, Danish skulder, Swedish skuldra. This undoubtedly genuine Teutonic word is wanting in Gothic; its origin is obscure.
Schultheiß, masculine, ‘chief magistrate,’ from Middle High German schultheiȥe (schultheitze), masculine, ‘he who assigns duties, judge,’ Old High German scultheiȥô, scultheitzo, masculine, ‘tribunus, praefectus, centurio.’ It is remarkable that “this term, purely judicial in its etymological origin, should have been transferred to captains of an army” in Old High German, and “that this judicial term does not appear in the older laws, except in the Lombardic, although it has been diffused from the Middle Ages till the present day throughout the greatest part of Germany.” Compare Low German schulte, from schuldhete, Dutch schout (from scholdhete), ‘village magistrate,’ Frisian skeldata, skelta; Anglo-Saxon sčyldhœ̂ta; the compound is wanting in Gothic. The Modern High German form Schulze (also as a proper name; compare Low German Schulte) is based on Middle High German schuldheize (as well as -heiȥe), Old High German schuldheizo (as well as -heiȥo), and ultimately on Gothic *haitja (tj produces tz, but ti changes into ȥi, see Grüße, Weizen).
Schulz, see the preceding word.
Schund, masculine, ‘offal, refuse, excrement,’ Modern High German only, recently derived from schinden. Originally perhaps ‘filth of the sewer.’
Schupf, masculine, ‘push, jerk,’ from Middle High German schupf, masculine, ‘swing, rocking movement,’ allied to Middle High German schupfen, ‘to waver,’ Old High German scupfa, ‘see-saw’; intensive forms of schieben.
Schuppe, feminine, ‘scale (of fish, &c.),’ from the equivalent Middle High German schuoppe (schuope, schuppe), masculine, Old High German scuoppa, feminine. Compare Dutch schob, ‘scale’; a derivative of the Teutonic root skab (skôb), ‘to shave, scrape.’
Schüppe, feminine, ‘spade, shovel,’ Modern High German, only, from East Middle German and Low German schüppe, compare Dutch schup, schop, ‘shovel, spade,’ allied to schupfen. — Schüppen, ‘spade (at cards),’ is identical with Schüppe, and is formed on the model of French pique. Compare Dutch schoppen, ‘spade (at cards).’
Schuppen, Schoppen, masculine, ‘shed, coach-house,’ Modern High German only, formed from Middle German and Low German; corresponding to Anglo-Saxon sčypen. English dialectic shippen, ‘stable’; in Old High German and Middle High German schopf, schof (Bavarian and Alemannian Schopf), ‘structure without walls, penthouse, vestibule.’ Compare Anglo-Saxon sčęoppa, ‘hull, hut,’ English shop (from Anglo-Saxon is also probably derived French échoppe, ‘booth’).
Schur, feminine, ‘shearing, vexation, fleecing,’ from Middle High German schuor, masculine and feminine, ‘shearing,’ a graded form of the root skē̆r, skō̆r, ‘to shear.’
schüren, verb, ‘to stir, poke,’ from Middle High German schürn, ‘to urge on, irritate, stir (the fire)’; allied to Middle High German schorn, ‘to sweep together,’ Middle High German schor, Old High German scora (Gothic skaúrô), ‘shovel.’
schürfen, verb, ‘to scratch, scrape, dig,’ from Middle High German schürfen, schürpfen, ‘to cut up,’ to which schürfœre, ‘flayer, executioner,’ Old High German scurfen, ‘to cut up,’ and Anglo-Saxon scrëpan, sceorpan, are allied. Probably connected with the root skrëp, skërp, ‘to be sharp.’ See scharf, schrappen, and schröpfen.
Schurke, masculine, ‘rascal, knave, villain,’ Modern High German only, allied to Old High German fir-scurgo, ‘rascal,’ which is connected with fir-scurigen, ‘to thrust away.’
Schurz, masculine, Schürze, feminine, ‘apron,’ from Middle High German schurz, masculine, ‘shortened garment, apron’; allied to Old High German scurz, ‘short,’ Anglo-Saxon sčęort, English short, whence also Middle High German schürzen, ‘to shorten, tuck up the dress under the girdle to make it shorter below, gird up.’ A Teutonic derivative skurtjôn is also indicated by Anglo-Saxon *sčyrte, English shirt, Old Icelandic skyrta, ‘shirt’ (Old Icelandic skorta, ‘to be in want of’). These genuinely Teutonic cognates imply a Teutonic root skrt (Middle High German schërze, masculine, ‘piece cut off’), which has not yet been found elsewhere. With regard to the union of this word with Latin curtus in some languages, see under kurz.
Schüssel, feminine, ‘dish, platter,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schüȥȥel, Old High German scuȥȥila, feminine; compare Dutch schotel, ‘dish,’ Anglo-Saxon scutel, Old Icelandic skutell, masculine, ‘dish, small table.’ With regard to the meaning see Tisch, with which it was borrowed, probably contemporaneously (about the 6th century) with the adoption of Roman cookery, from Latin scutula, scutella, ‘small dish.’ Compare further from the same source Anglo-Saxon scutel, English scuttle; also French écuelle (scutella), Italian scodella, ‘bowl.’
Schuster, masculine, ‘shoemaker, cobbler,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schuoch-sûtœre, masculine; Old High German and Middle High German also merely sûtâri, sûtœ̂re, masculine, ‘cobbler’; corresponding to Anglo-Saxon sûtêre, Northern English and Scotch souter. Borrowed from Latin sutor, with a German suffix denoting the agent; sûtâri, as a genuine Teutonic derivative from the Teutonic root sī̆w, ‘to sew,’ discussed under Saum and Säule, ​is not probable. The genuine German word for the Upper German Schuster is Middle High German schuochwürhte (allied to wirken), which has been preserved only in the proper names Schuchart or Schubert.
Schuß, masculine, ‘shot, report, charge,’ from Middle High German schuȥ (ȥȥ), Old High German scuȥ (ȥȥ), masculine, ‘shot’; allied to the root skū̆t, ‘to shoot.’ See schießen.
Schüte, feminine, ‘barge, ferryboat,’ Modern High German only, derived, like Dutch schuit and English skute, from Old Icelandic skúta, feminine, ‘small swift boat.’ Allied to the root skū̆t, ‘to shoot’ (see schießen). With regard to Modern High German ü compare Büse.
Schutt, masculine, ‘rubbish, refuse, debris,’ Modern High German only; in Middle High German, schüt, feminine, ‘alluvium, deposition (of soil), rubbish’; allied to Modern High German schütten, ‘to shed, pour, discharge, heap up,’ Middle High German schüten, ‘to shake, swing, shed’; Old High German scutten, scuten (Italian scotolare, ‘to beat flax’); compare Old Saxon skuddian, ‘to shake, convulse,’ Dutch schudden, ‘to shake, convulse.’ Teutonic root skū̆d, ‘to convulse, shake,’ with which Middle High German and Modern High German schütteln, Old High German scutilôn, and Modern High German schüttern are connected as frequentatives. See schaudern.
Schutz, masculine, ‘protection, defence, dike, fence,’ from Middle High German schuz (tz), masculine, ‘surrounding with a dike, protection,’ allied to Modern High German schützen.
Schütze, masculine, ‘marksman, archer,’ from Middle High German schütze, masculine, ‘cross-bowman,’ also late Middle High German, ‘beginner, young pupil’ (to which Modern High German ABC-schütze, ‘pupil beginning to read, tyro,’ is allied); Old High German scuzzo, masculine, ‘sagitarius’ (equivalent to Anglo-Saxon sčytta, Gothic *skutja). Allied to the root skū̆t; see schießen.
schützen, verb, ‘to protect, guard, defend, shelter,’ from Middle High German schützen, ‘to embank, dam up, protect,’ which, according to Middle High German beschüten, ‘to protect,’ implies Old High German *skutisôn. The primary meaning is evident from Middle High German schüte, schüt, feminine, ‘earth-wall’ which is identical with Schutt.
schwach, adjective, ‘weak, infirm, feeble,’ from Middle High German swach, adjective, ‘low, poor, despised, weak, infirm’; wanting in Old High German as well as in the other Teutonic dialects. The usual derivation from a Teutonic root swek, ‘to swell’ (schwach, originally ‘that which has lost its savour’), must be abandoned; schwach is rather allied to siech, so that the Teutonic roots suk, swak, are to be assumed (compare the following word).
Schwaden, Schwadem, masculine, ‘vapour, damp, exhalation,’ from Middle High German swadem, swaden, masculine, ‘vapour’; allied to North Frisian swesh, Anglo-Saxon swaðul, masculine, ‘smoky vapour,’ Old High German swëdan, ‘to burn slowly with a smoky flame.’ The Teutonic root sweþ contained in these words seems to correspond to the root sū̆þ contained in sieden (compare suk, swak, under the preceding word; see toll).
Schwadron, feminine, ‘squadron,’ Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent Italian squadrone (French escadron). —
schwadronieren, see schwätzen.
Schwager, masculine, ‘brother-in-law,’ from Middle High German and Middle Low German swâger, masculine, ‘brother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law’ (with regard to the variation in meaning see Neffe); Old High German *swâgar is not recorded; a specifically German word, unknown to the Old Teutonic dialects. Since the word is cognate with Schwaher and Schwieger, and has also an archaic gradation, an Aryan form swêkró-s may be assumed for Schwager (note Old Icelandic svœ́ra, from *swâhrjon, ‘mother-in-law’). See the following word.
Schwäher, masculine, ‘father-in-law,’ from Middle High German swëher, Old High German swëhur, masculine, ‘father-in-law,’ late Old High German also ‘brother-in-law’; compare Anglo-Saxon sweór (from sweohor), ‘father-in-law’ (obsolete even at the end of the Anglo-Saxon period), Gothic swaihra, ‘father-in-law.’ A primitively Teutonic and old Aryan word, with the primary form swekros, swekuros; compare Greek ἑκυρός, Latin socer (for *swecuro-), Sanscrit çváçuras (tor *svaçuras), Old Slovenian swkrŭ, Lithuanian szészuras, ‘father-in-law.’ The original sense of the common Aryan word cannot be ascertained; it is, however, cognate with Schwager (Aryan swêkrós) and Schwester (Aryan swésô). Corresponding to the now almost obsolete Schwäher, there has existed from primitively Teutonic times a feminine swekrũ, ‘mother-in-law,’ just as from Sanscrit çvaçrũ (for *svaçrũ) are derived Latin socrûs (for *swecrus), Greek ἑκυρά (the Gothic form must have been *swigrus, feminine, for which swaíhrô is used). The word was current in Anglo-Saxon as swëger, which also became obsolete at an early period. Only in German was it retained, Old High German swigar, Middle High German swiger, feminine, ‘mother-in-law,’ from which Modern High German, constructed the tautological compound Schwiegermutter, while the corresponding Modern High German masculine Swiegervater, formed from the latter, supplanted tho old term Schwäher; similarly we have the compounds Schwiegereltern, -sohn, -tochter, &c. It is evident that the mother-in-law ​plays a more important rôle in marriage than the father-in-law.
Schwalbe, feminine,‘swallow,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swalwe, Old High German swalawa, feminine; a common Teutonic term; corresponding to the equivalent Dutch zwaluw, Anglo-Saxon swealwe, English swallow, Old Icelandic svala (genitive svǫlu), feminine, ‘swallow.’ No certain explanation can be given of the primary form swalwôn, feminine; perhaps it represents swalgwôn-, pre-Teutonic swalkuân, to which Greek ἀλκύων is also traced.
Schwalch, masculine, ‘gullet, opening in a furnace,’ from Middle High German swalch, masculine, ‘gullet,’ allied to schwelgen.
Schwall, masculine, ‘swell, billow, flood,’ from Middle High German swal(ll), masculine, ‘swollen mass’; allied to schwellen.
Schwamm, neuter, ‘sponge, fungus,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swam (mm), swamp (b), masculine, Old High German swam (mm), swamb, masculine; compare Gothic swamms, ‘sponge,’ Old Icelandic svǫppr, ‘‘sponge.’ Within these groups, which are very possibly connected together, we must distinguish three words, probably of different origin, of which the Gothic stems were swamma-, *swamba-, and *swampu-. In Modern High German the first two forms lave been united; to the second form Greek σομφός (for σξο-), ‘spongy, loose, porous,’ is primitively allied; the first is formed from schwimmen.
Schwan, masculine, ‘swan,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swane, swan, masculine, Old High German swan, masculine (swana, feminine); corresponding to Dutch zwaan, Anglo-Saxon swǫn, English swan, Old Icelandic svanr, masculine, ‘swan’; Gothic *swans is by chance not recorded. Probably allied to the Sanscrit root svan, ‘to rustle, resound’ (compare Hahn, allied to Latin canere), Latin sonare (for *svonare); properly only of the singing swan?.
schwanen, verb, ‘to presage, forebode,’ Modern High German only, literally ‘to have a presentiment,’ like the swan that sings before its death.
Schwang, masculine, only in the phrase im Schwange sein, ‘to be in vogue,’ from Middle High German swanc (g or k), masculine, ‘swinging motion, swinging, stroke, cut’; allied to schwingen.
schwanger, adjective, ‘pregnant, teeming,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swanger, Old High German swangar; compare Dutch zwanger, ‘pregnant,’ but Anglo-Saxon swǫngor, ‘awkward, idle’; the latter meaning makes the derivation from schwingen improbable. Anglo-Saxon has also the curious form swǫncor; see schwank.
Schwank, masculine. ‘prank, drollery, farce,’ from late Middle High German swanc (g or k), masculine, ‘prank, trick, an anecdote about it,’ identical with Middle High German swanc, ‘swing, stroke, cut’ (see Schwang), Old High German swanch, masculine, allied to swingan (just as Old High German chlanch to chlingan; see Klang).
schwank, adjective, ‘staggering, insteady,’ from Middle High German swanc (k), adjective, ‘pliant, thin, slender’; so too the equivalent Middle High German kel, Anglo-Saxon swgneor, Old Icelandic svang-r; allied to the root swing, in schwingen; hence schwant is literally ‘easily swung, pliant.’ With the Teutonic cognates Italian sguancio, ‘wryness,’ has been connected. .
Schwanz, mn., ‘tail, trail, train,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swanz, masculine (for Old High German *swanz a form zagal, Middle High German zagel, equivalent to English tail, is used). Through the medium of the intensive forms swangezen, swankzen, Middle High German swanz is connected with schwingen: Middle High German swansen, ‘to shake to and fro,’ Dutch swanselen, ‘to reel.’
Schwäre, feminine, ‘ulcer, boil, sore,’ from Middle High German swër, Old High German swëro, masculine, ‘physical pain, disease, swelling, ulcer’; allied to Middle High German swërn, Old High German swëran, ‘to hurt, pain, fester, ulcerate.’ The root swer originally perhaps ‘to press, torment’; compare the Sanscrit root svṛ, ‘to torment, injure.’ See schwer and Geschwür.
Schwarm, masculine, ‘swarm, cluster, throng,’ from Middle High German swarm, Old High German swaram, masculine, ‘swarm (of bees)’; allied to the Sanscrit root svar, ‘to rustle, resound.’ Compare Anglo-Saxon swearm, ‘swarm (of bees),’ English swarm, Old Icelandic svarmr. See schwirren.
Schwarte, t., ‘thick, hard skin; rind, bark, from Middle High German swarte, swart, feminine, ‘hairy scalp, hairy or feathered skin’ (Old High German *swarta, feminine, is by chance not recorded). A common Teutonic word; compare Dutch zwoord, ‘bacon rind,’ Old Frisian swarde, ‘scalp,’ Anglo-Saxon sweard, Middle English sward, ‘skin,’ Old Icelandic svǫrðr, ’scalp, skin, whale-hide’; Gothic *swardus, feminine, ‘scalp.’ Origin obscure. Note the evolution in meaning of English sward, Scandinavian jarðan-svǫrðr, gras-svǫrðr, Danish jord-, grönswœrd.
schwarz, adjective, ‘black, swarthy, gloomy,’ from Middle High German and Old High German swarz, ‘dark-coloured, black’; a common Teutonic term, most of the words denoting colour, except the recent loan-words, being part of the primitively Teutonic vocabulary (compare gelb, rot, braun, &c.); Gothic swarts, Old Icelandic svartr, Anglo-Saxon sweart, English swart, Dutch zwart, Old Saxon swart. Old Icelandic sorta, ‘black colour,’ sorte, ‘black cloud,’ and Surtr are in a different stage of gradation. The common Teutonic shwarta- ​is usually connected with Latin sordes (for *svordes?), ‘dirt,’ and suâsum (for *suarsum), ‘black colour, dirty spot’; Latin surdus ‘deaf,’ has also been referred, but with less probability, to the root sword, surd, ‘dark.’
schwätzen, verb, ‘to chatter, prate, gossip,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swętzen, allied to Middle High German swaz (tz), ‘talking, chattering’; an intensive form of a Teutonic root swaþ. Compare Middle High German swadern, swatern, ‘to chatter, rustle, clatter,’ of which the simply Modern High German schwadronieren is a Romance derivative. There is no relation to Latin suadere. Origin obscure.
schweben, verb, ‘to soar, hover,’ from Middle High German swëben, Old High German swëbên, ‘to soar, move to and from in or on water or in the air’; allied to Old Icelandic svífa, ‘to rove, ramble,’ Old High German sweibôn, Middle High German sweiben, ‘to soar. roam.’ The Aryan root swiþ, ‘to move.’ on which these words are based, had also a variant swib preserved in Modern High German schweifen.
Schwefel, masculine, ‘brimstone, sulphur,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swëvel, swëbel, Old High German swëval, swëbal, masculine; the f of the Modern High German form can only be explained by the influence of Low German, as is shown by the double forms in Middle High German and Old High German. A common Teutonic word; compare Dutch zwavel, Anglo-Saxon swefl, Swedish swafvel, Gothic swibls, ‘sulphur.’ Latin sulpur (for *suplur?) is probably not allied. If the Old Teutonic swebloz, ‘sulphur,’ is a primitive loan-word, it may perhaps be connected with the old Aryan root swep, ‘to sleep’ (Sanscrit svápnas, Latin somnus, Greek ὕπνος, Anglo-Saxon swëfn); compare Anglo-Saxon swębban, ‘to kill,’ Old Icelandic svœ́fa, ‘to kill, lull to sleep’; Schwefel may then be literally ‘stifling, killing, soporific stuff.’
Schweif, masculine, ‘tail, train, suite,’ from Middle High German sweif, masculine, ‘rotation, encircling band, trimming of a garment, tail,’ Old High German sweif, Old Icelandic sveipr, ‘encircling band’; allied to Old High German sweifan, ‘to cause to rotate, turn.’ With the Teutonic root swaip, Greek σόβη, ‘horsetail,’ cannot be connected. See the following word.
schweifen, verb, ‘to roam, rove, wander,’ from Middle High German sweifen, Old High German sweifan, ‘to cause to rotate, swing, wind’; compare Anglo-Saxon swâpan, ‘to swing, sweep, tear,’ English to swoop, to sweep, to which Anglo-Saxon and English swift, Dutch zweep, and Low German swipe, ‘whip,’ are allied.
schweigen, verb, ‘to keep silence, be silent,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swîgen, Old High German swigên; compare Old Saxon swîgôn, Dutch swijgen, Old Frisian swîgia, Anglo-Saxon swī̆gian, ‘to be silent.’ The connection with Greek σϊγάω, σῖγή, ‘silence,’ is undoubted, in spite of the abnormal correspondence of Greek γ to Teutonic g (for k); we must assume a double Aryan root swī̆g, swī̆q (the latter for the West Teutonic words). Modern High German schweigen, verb, ‘to silence,’ from Middle High German and Old High German sweigen, ‘to reduce to silence,’ is a factitive of the foregoing schweigen.
Schwein, neuter, ‘pig, hog,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German swîn, neuter; corresponding to the equivalent Old Saxon swîn, Dutch zwijn, Anglo-Saxon swîn, English swine, Old Icelandic svín, Gothic swein. These imply a primitive Teutonic swîno-m, neuter, ‘pig,’ which must have been originally a diminutive of Sau, ‘sucking pig, young pig’ (the Old Teutonic suffix -îna- was a favourite one in designating the young of animals; see Küchlein and Füllen), in the form of su-îna-m, ‘the young of the sow’ (primitive Teutonic sû, ‘sow’). On account of the great prolificness of pigs, and hence the immense number of young pigs, the diminutive was used for the species?.
Schweiß, masculine, ‘sweat, perspiration,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German sweiȥ, masculine; Middle High German also ‘blood,’ a meaning still current among sportsmen (so too schweißen, ‘to bleed’); Old Saxon swêt, ‘sweat,’ Anglo-Saxon swât, ‘sweat, blood,’ English sweat, Dutch zweet. For the Teutonic root swī̆t, swait, Aryan swoid, swī̆d, see under schwißen; compare Sanscrit svẽda-s, masculine, Latin sudor (from *svoidos), ‘sweat.’ To this is allied schweißen, verb, ‘to begin to melt, weld,’ from Middle High German sweiȥen, sweitzen, ‘to weld, Old High German sweiȥen, ‘to roast, broil.’
schwelen, verb, ‘to burn slowly, smoulder,’ Modern High German only, from Low German. For the Teutonic root swel in Old High German swilizôn, ‘to burn slowly’, and Anglo-Saxon swëlan, ‘to glow,’ see under schwül.
schwelgen, verb ‘to guzzle, carouse, revel,’ from Middle High German swëlgen, swëlhen, ‘to swallow, gulp down, drink,’ Old High German swëlgan, swëlahan, ‘to swallow, gulp down’; compare Old Saxon far-swëlgan, ‘to gulp down,’ Dutch zwelgen, ‘to swallow,’ zwelg, ‘draught,’ Anglo-Saxon swëlgan, English to swallow, Old Icelandic svelgja, ‘to swallow’; Gothic *swilhan is wanting. A Teutonic root. swëlh (swëlg by grammatical change), from pre-Teutonic swelk, is not found elsewhere. See Schwalch.
Schwelle, feminine, ‘threshold, sill,’ from Middle High German swęlle, feminine and neuter, ‘beam, threshold.’ Old High German swęlli, masculine, ‘threshold’; Gothic *swalli, ​‘threshold,’ is wanting. Compare Anglo-Saxon syll, feminine, English sill, and the equivalent Old Icelandic syll, svill, feminine; allied to Gothic ga-suljan, ‘to establish,’ root swol, sū̆l, ‘to establish’; con Latin solea (for *svolea)?. Akin also to Old High German sûl, ‘pillar’?.
schwellen, verb, ‘to swell, rise,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swëllen, Old High German swëllan; corresponding to the equivalent Old Saxon swëllan, Dutch zwellen, Anglo-Saxon swëllan, English to swell, Old Icelandic svella; Gothic *swillan is wanting; for the Teutonic root swell, swel, see Schwiele. To this is allied the verb schwellen ‘to swell, expand’ (transitive), from Middle High German and Old High German swęllen, ‘to cause to swell,’ a factitive of schwellen. See Geschwulst.
schwemmen, verb, ‘to wash, soak, water,’ from Middle High German swęmmen, ‘to cause to swim, dip in water, wash in it’; a factitive of schwimmen.
Schwengel, masculine, ‘pendulum, clapper, beam,’ from Middle High German swęngel, swęnkel, masculine, ‘that which swings, pendulum.’ See the following word and schwingen.
schwenken, verb, ‘to swing, wave to and fro, brandish,’ from Middle High German swęnken, ‘to swing, hurl, roam, soar,’ Old High German swęnchen, ‘to strike’; compare Dutch zwenken, ‘to swing,’ Anglo-Saxon swęnčęan, ‘to strike, worry,’ and allied to the root swink, swing, in schwingen; compare klingen with regard to the change of k to g at the end of the root.
schwer, adjective, ‘grievous, heavy, difficult,’ from Middle High German swœre, adjective, Old High German swâri, swâr, adjective, ‘heavy,’ with the adverb form Old High German swâro, Middle High German swâre; Old Saxon swâr, Dutch zwaar, Anglo-Saxon swœ̂r, swâr, Old Icelandic svárr, ‘heavy.’ Akin also to Gothic swêrs, ‘honoured, respected, weighty, as it were, for heart and sense’?. See wichtig, Gewicht. Compare Lithuanian sweriù (svèrti), ‘to lift, weigh,’ swarùs, ‘heavy,’ svóras, sváras, ‘weight.’
Schwert, neuter, ‘sword,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German swërt, neuter; a common Teutonic term; compare the equivalent Old Saxon swerd, Dutch zwaard, Anglo-Saxon sweord, English sword, Old Icelandic sverð. Gothic *swaírda-, neuter, is wanting, haírus being used. This latter term is the earliest recorded in Teutonic; it is preserved in old West Teutonic, almost exclusively in old compounds, and is connected with Sanscrit çáru, masculine, ‘missile, spear.’ The later Old Teutonic term *swerda- has no correspondences in the non-Teutonic languages.
Schwertel, neuter, ‘sword-lily, fleur-de-luce, iris,’ from Middle High German swërtele, Old High German swërtala, feminine, a derivative of Schwert, in imitation of Latin gladiolus.
Schwester, feminine, ‘sister,’ from Middle High German swëster, Old High German swëster, feminine; a common Teutonic and also primitively Aryan word. Compare Gothic swistar, Old Icelandic syster, Anglo-Saxon sweostor, English sister, Dutch zuster, Old Saxon swëstar. The common Teutonic stem swestr-, originated in Aryan swesr- (compare Strom for the insertion of t in sr), nominative singular swésô; compare Sanscrit svasr-, nominative singular svasâ, Latin soror for *swesô-r, Old Slovenian sestra, Lithuanian sesů (for *swesô). The originally meaning of the cognates, as in the case of Bruder, Aryan bhrãtõ (brãhtṛ), cannot be discovered; yet Schwäher, Schwieger, and Schwager (Aryan swekuros, swekrũ, swékrós) are similar in sound, so too Old Icelandic swiljar, ‘husbands of two sisters,’ Old Saxon swiri, ‘nephew, sister's child’ (Aryan swesjo-?), &c., whose common component swe- signified ‘own, his,’ according to Sanscrit sva, Latin suus; Compare sein. For the Aryan terms of consanguinity compare Vater, Mutter, &c.
Schwibbogen, masculine, ‘stone arch, arcade, flying buttress,’ from Middle High German swiboge, Old High German swibogo, masculine; the Modern High German form is an early corruption, connecting sweiboge, which had become obscure even in Middle High German, with schweben and Bogen. Old High German swibogo, ‘arched vault,’ if this too is not a corruption, appears to be either an old derivative from the root swib (see schweben), hence Gothic *swib-uga, or a compound of Old High German bogo, ‘bow, arch,’ with a prefix swi-, the meaning of which is certainly not clear; compare Gothic swi-kunþs, ‘manifest,’ Old Icelandic sve-víss (?), svi-dauðr (?), Anglo-Saxon sweo-tol.
schwichtigen, see beschwichtigen.
Schwieger, feminine, ‘mother-in-law,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swiger, Old High German swigar (Anglo-Saxon swöger), feminine; Aryan swekrũ; see under Schwäher.
Schwiele, feminine, ‘hard skin, weal,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swil, masculine and neuter, Old High German swilo, masculine, swil, neuter; Teutonic *swiliz, pre-Teutonic *swelos, neuter, is to be assumed; allied to the root swel in schwellen, Schwulst. Schwiele, literally ‘swelling.’
schwierig, adjective, ‘difficult, hard,’ from Middle High German swiric (g), masculine, ‘full of sores or ulcers,’ a derivative of Schwäre; instinctively connected by Germans, however, with schwer, and hence transformed in meaning.
schwimmen, verb, ‘to swim,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swimmen, Old High German swimman; corresponding to the equivalent Old Saxon swimman, Dutch zwemmen, Anglo-Saxon swimman, English to swim; Old Icelandic symja points to Gothic *sumjan ​(preterite swam). Akin also to Gothic swamms, ‘sponge,’ swumfsl, masculine, ‘pond.’ The Teutonic root swëm, sū̆m, appears also in Sund; compare also Old Icelandic svamla, Middle High German swamen, ‘to swim.’ In the non-Teutonic languages the root swem, sū̆mm, ‘to swim,’ has not yet been found.
schwind, see geschwind.
schwindeln, verb, ‘to be dizzy or giddy,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swindeln, Old High German swintilôn, allied to Middle High German swindel, ‘giddiness, vertigo,’ equivalent to Old High German swintilôd and swintilunga. Further akin to schwinden, ‘to dwindle away,’ hence Middle High German also ‘to faint, become unconscious.’
schwinden, verb, ‘to vanish, dwindle away, decay, perish,’ from Middle High German swinden, Old High German swintan, ‘to vanish, pass away, grow lean, become unconscious, faint’; corresponding to Anglo-Saxon swindan (wanting in English), ‘to vanish’; probably allied to a root swī̆ (like Gothic standan to the root stā̆?). The root swī̆ appears in Old High German swinan, Middle High German swînen, ‘to decrease, disappear, grow lean, become unconscious,’ Old Icelandic svína, ‘to subside,’ svía, ‘to abate,’ Old Icelandic svíme, Anglo-Saxon svîma, Dutch zwijm, ‘giddiness, vertigo.’ In the non-Teutonic languages the root swī̆, ‘to decrease,’ has not yet been authenticated; the comparison with Greek σί-νομας, ‘I plunder, damage,’ is dubious. —
Schwindsucht, feminine, ‘consumption,’ swintsuht, swînsuht (allied to swînen), also swindelunge.
schwingen, verb, ‘to swing, brandish, wave,’ from Middle High German swingen, swinken, Old High German swingan (swinchan?), ‘to swing, throw, hurl, strike, scourge, vault, fly, soar’; corresponding to Old Saxon swingan, ‘to vault,’ Anglo-Saxon swingan, ‘to scourge, fly, flutter,’ English to swing; from Gothic *swiggwan was formed swaggwjan, ‘to swing about.’ Under schwank and schwenken, an Aryan root swenk, sweng, was adduced; Anglo-Saxon swincan, English to swink, is a variant of Anglo-Saxon swingen, English to swing; compare Dutch zwenken, ‘to swing.’
Schwire, feminine, ‘stake’; see Humpen.
schwirren, verb, ‘to whiz, wir, chirp,’ Modern High German only, allied, like Schwarm, to a root swer, ‘to rustle, drink (like beasts).’
schwitzen, verb, ‘to sweat, perspire,’ from the equivalent Middle High German switzen, Old High German swizzen; Gothic *switjan is wanting. The Teutonic root swī̆t, Aryan swī̆d, is primitively Aryan, as was observed under Schweiß (a common Aryan root for ‘to freeze’ is wanting; compare Winter, Schnee, frieren, and Sommer); compare Sanscrit svidyâ-mi, from the root svid, ‘to perspire,’ Greek ίδίω, ‘I perspire,’ ἱδρώς, ‘perspiration,’ for σϝϊδ-, and further Latin sûdare, ‘to perspire’ (for *swoidare), Lettic swidrs, ‘perspiration.’
schwören, verb, ‘to swear,’ from the equivalent Middle High German swęrn, swęrjen, Old High German swęren; swęrien; a specifically Teutonic word (like Eid); compare Gothic swaran, Old Icelandic sverja, Anglo-Saxon swęrian, English to swear, Dutch zweren, Old Saxon swęrian, ‘to swear.’ The Teutonic root swar contained in these words had, however, a wider sense originally than the one given, for traces in particular dialects lead us to infer that ‘to answer’ was the meaning of the root; compare Old Icelandic svǫr, neuter plural, ‘answer,’ svara, verb, ‘to answer,’ in the legal sense also ‘to give security,’ andsvar, neuter, ‘legal decision,’ Anglo-Saxon andswaru, feminine, ‘answer,’ English to answer (see Antwort), Old Saxon andswor, ‘vindication.’ The primary idea of the Teutonic root swar is therefore, perhaps, ‘to be responsible’; it has been compared to Latin respondeo from spondeo.
schwül, ‘sultry,’ Modern High German only, from Low German swûl; compare Dutch zwoel, ‘sultry,’ Anglo-Saxon swôl (Gothic *swôls, is wanting); allied, like schwelen, to Old High German swilzzôn, ‘to burn slowly,’ Anglo-Saxon for-swœ̂lan, ‘to burn,’ Old Icelandic svœ́la, ‘thick, choking smoke.’ The root swē̆l, swō̆l, appears also in Lithuanian svìlti, ‘to smoulder,’ svilus, ‘glimmering,’ svilmis, ‘burnt smell,’ and in Lettic swelt, ‘to singe.’ Derivative Schwulität, ‘sultriness,’ with a Latin ending like Lappalien and Schmieralien.
Schwulst, feminine, ‘swelling, bombast,’ from Middle High German swulst. geswulst, Old High German giswulst, feminine, ‘swelling’; allied to schwellen.
Schwung, masculine, ‘swing, vibration, soaring, flight,’ from the equivalent late Middle High German swunc (g), masculine; allied to schwingen.
Schwur, masculine, ‘swearing, oath, curse,’ Modern High German only, in Middle High German found only in the compound meinswuor, ‘perjury,’ in Old High German only in eidswuor, ‘oath’; allied to schwören.