An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Schein

by Friedrich Kluge

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.