An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Schienbein

by Friedrich Kluge

Schienbein, n., ‘shin-bone,’ from MidHG. schinebein, n., allied to MidHG. schine, OHG. scina, f., ‘shin-bone’; comp. AS. sčinu, f., E. shin (also AS. sčinebân, MidE. schinebône); Du. scheen and scheenbeen, ‘shin-bone.’ Bein in this compound has preserved its older meaning of ‘bone’; see Bein. Scarcely allied to Schiene and Schinken, for the secondary meaning of ModHG. Schiene (MidHG. schine), ‘narrow wood or metal plate, strip,’ as well as OHG. scina, ‘needle,’ points to a Goth. *skinô, f., ‘narrow piece of bone or metal.’ Of the primit. history of the cognates it can only be said, however, that by inference from AS. scîœ, sceó, ‘shin,’ the root must be skī̆. From Teut. are derived Ital. schiniera, ‘greaves for a horse,’ and probably also Ital. schiena, Fr. échine, ‘spine,’ with their Rom. cognates.