Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language.djvu/336

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f., ‘insult, abuse, ignominy’ (to which Ital. smacco, ‘affront,’ is allied?). An abstract from MidHG. smœhe, adj., ‘little, trifling, contemptible’; comp. OHG. smâhi, adj., ‘little, trifling, base,,’ smâhi, f., ‘trifle, baseness’; also OIc. smár, ‘little,’ and, with a different development of meaning, AS. smeálîc, ‘fine, careful.’ A similar variety of meanings is seen in the history of ModHG. klein, for which we must assumne (as for OHG. smâki) the prim. meaning of ‘little, pretty.’ If Gr. μικρός, σμικρός, represents σμεκρός, OHG. smâhi (as if corresponding to *σμήκιος) may be connected with it. The earlier sense still appears faintly in schmachten and verschmachten; comp. MidHG. versmahten (ă or â?), ‘to pine away,’ OHG. gismahteôn, ‘to disappear.’ Allied to schmächtig, adj., ‘pining, languishing,’ from MidHG. (MidG.) smahtec, from MidHG. (MidG.) smaht, ‘pining away’; if these latter cognates contain ă, they may be connected with ModHG. smëcker, ‘slender, narrow, pining.’ See schmähen.

Schmack, see schmecken.

Schmacke, f., ‘smack’ (vessel), ModHG. only, formed from the equiv. LG. and Du. smak, E. smack, Dan. smakke (comp. Fr. semaque); its history and origin are obscure.

schmähen, vb., ‘to abuse, revile, rail,’ from MidHG. smœhen, ‘to treat contemptuously,’ OHG. smâhen, vb., ‘to make small, lessen,’ see Schmach. Allied to ModHG. schmählich, adj., ‘abusive,’ MidHG. smœhelich, OHG. smâlîch, adj., which are identical with the OHG. adj. smâhi, MidHG. smœhe, adduced under Schmach.

schmal, adj., ‘narrow, slender, scanty,’ from MidHG. and OHG. smal, adj., ‘small, trifling, slender, scanty, narrow’; corresponding to Goth. smals, ‘small, trifling.’ AS. smeœl, ‘small, trifling,’ E. small, Du. smal, OSax. smal, ‘emall, trifling.’ The ModHG. sense is to be regarded as a specialisation of the older and wider meaning. The word is usually compared with OSlov. malŭ, ‘small,’ as well as Gr. μῆλα, ‘small cattle’ (for σμ-?), OIr. míl, ‘animal,’ espec. since OIc. smale, ‘small cattle,’ has the same meaning. The older and wider meaning of the adj. is still faintly seen in schmälen, ‘to put down with reproof’; comp. MidHG. smeln, ‘to make narrower, lessen.’

Schmalte, f., ‘smalt,’ ModHG. only, formed from Ital. smalto, or Fr. smalt, ‘glass of a deep blue.’

Schmalz, n., ‘fat, grease, suet,’ from MidHG. and OHG. smalz, n., ‘melted fat for cooking, grease, butter’ (comp. Ital. dial. smalzo, ‘butter’); allied to schmelzen, ‘to melt,’ which, in the sense ‘to cook with fat,’ is derived from Schmalz.

Schmant, m. (Livon., LG., and Hess.), ‘cream,’ from the equiv. late MidHG. smant, borrowed in the 15th cent. from Slav.; comp. Bohem. smant. With Bohem. smetana (Russ. smetana, ‘cream’) is connected the dial. (Siles., Bohem., and Austr.) Schmetten, ‘cream,’ to which Schmetterling is probably related.

schmarotzen, vb., ‘to spunge on,’ from late MidHG. smorotzen, ‘to beg, be sordid, spunge on.’ On account of the narrow area and the late appearance of the word, its history and origin are obscure.

Schmarre, f., ‘slash, scar,’ ModHG. only; corresponding to LG. smarre; unknown to the OTeut. languages; only in MidHG. does a cognate smurre, f., ‘cut, stroke,’ occur. Of obscure origin.

schmatzen, vb., ‘to smack the lips in eating,’ from the equiv. MidHG. smatzen, which also means ‘to kiss with a smack.’ The MidHG. word comes from an older equiv. variant smackezen, a derivative of MidHG. smacken, ‘to taste, savour.’

Schmauch, m., ‘thick smoke,’ from MidHG. smouch, ‘smoke, vapour’ (AS. smêč). Allied to a Teut. root smū̆k (Pre-Teut. smū̆g), ‘to smoke’; comp. AS. smeócan, smŏcian, and the equiv. E. to smoke, Du. smoken, ‘to smoke,’ smook, ‘smoke’; also LG. smöken. Perhaps Gr. σμὕχω (Aor. ε-σμύγ-ην), ‘to consume in a smouldering fire,’ is allied.

Schmaus, m., ‘feast, banquet’; its history and origin are obscure. Yet Du. smullen, ‘to eat or drink immoderately, carouse,’ smuisteren, ‘to feast, Du. and LG. smudderen, smodderen, ‘to feast,’ are probably cognate. The word is unknown to the OTeut. period.

schmecken, vb., ‘to taste, savour, relish,’ from MidHG. smęcken, smacken, ‘to try by tasting; savour, smell, scent; perceive’; the meaning ‘to smell’ is still partly retained by Alem. and Bav. OHG. smęcchen, only ‘to taste’ (trans. and intrans.), smacchên, ‘to smack of.’ Comp. OHG. and MidHG. smac, m., ‘taste,’ Du. smaak, AS. smœc (cc), ‘taste,’ smeččan, ‘to taste,’ E. smack, vb. and subst. In OIc. and Goth. there are no corresponding vbs. from the Teut. root