An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Scham
Scham, f., ‘shame, disgrace, bashfulness, pudenda,’ f., from MidHG. scham, OHG. scama, f., ‘sense of shame, confusion, infamy, disgrace (MidHG.), pudibunda.’ Comp. OSax. skama, f., ‘confusion,’ Du. schaam- (in compounds), AS. sčeǫmu, f., ‘shame, infamy, disgrace,’ E. shame; Goth. *skama, f., may be inferred from skaman, ‘to be ashamed’ (OHG. scamên). The Aryan root skam, which also appears in ModHG. Schande, is connected with the Aryan root kam, ‘to cover oneself,’ preserved in Hemd (which see, as well as Leichnam) and in Goth. hamôn, so that Goth. sik skaman, ‘to be ashamed,’ would signify lit. ‘to cover oneself.’