An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Schirmen

by Friedrich Kluge

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.