An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/bescheiden

by Friedrich Kluge

bescheiden, verb, ‘to distribute, assign, summon,’ from Middle High German bescheiden, Old High German bisceidan, ‘to divide, decide, relate, report.’ The Modern High German and Middle High German participle bescheiden, meant originally ‘definite,’ then ‘clear, distinct, intelligible, prudent.’ See scheiden.