An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Schmalz

by Friedrich Kluge

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.