Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language.djvu/337

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smak (pre-Teut. smā̆g), with which Lith. smagùs, ‘agreeable,’ lit. ‘pliant,’ has wrongly been connected as cognate terms.

Schmeer, m., ‘fat, grease, smear,’ from the equiv. MidHG. smër (gen. smërwes), OHG. smëro (gen. smërwes), n.; comp. schmieren. From the root smër, contained in these words, are derived Goth. *smaír-þr, n., ‘fat, fatness,’ Du. smeer, ‘fat, grease, tallow,’ AS. smeoro, E. smear, OIc. smjǫr, ‘butter’; also, with a different meaning, Goth. smarna, ‘dirt, excrement’ (comp. its relation to Schmeer and schmieren), and, in a figurative sense, OHG. and AS. bismer, ‘contumely.’ In the non-Teut. languages the word has been compared, probably without any justification, with Gr. μὕρω, ‘to trickle,’ μῦρον, ‘salve.’

schmeicheln, vb., ‘to caress, coax, flatter,’ from MidHG. smeicheln, smeichen, ‘to flatter, praise, extol’; OHG. *smeihhen is wanting; comp. MidLG. smeken, Du. smeeken, ‘to implore’ (conversely, Du. vleijen signifies ‘to flatter’). These cognates, which have no corresponding terms in other languages, probably belong, like the words adduced under Schminke, to a Teut. and Aryan root smī̆-w, ‘to be insinuating, friendly,’ to which MidHG. smieren, smielen, ‘to smile’ (comp. Speichel from the root spîw, ‘to spit’), is allied. In that case E. to smile, Sans. smêra-s, ‘smiling,’ Sans. root smi, ‘to laugh,’ Lett. smët, ‘to laugh,’ and OSlov. směją, smijati sę, ‘to laugh,’ are probably allied. If from its relation to HG. glatt and E. glad it is assumed that the prim. meaning of the root smī̆-w is ‘to be smooth,’ the root smī̆ (see Schmied), ‘to work artistically’ (lit. ‘to do polished work’), may be regarded as cognate with the former; similarly OHG. gi-slihten signifies ‘to smooth over, polish,’ and ‘to flatter.’

schmeißen, vb., ‘to smite, fling, kick (of horses),’ from MidHG. smîȥen, ‘to rub, strike’; the latter meanings are the earlier, as is shown by Goth. smeitan (only in gasmeitan and bi-smeitan), ‘to spread over, besmear’; comp. AS. smîtan, E. to smite. The meaning of ModHG. schmeißen, compared with that of OHG. and MidHG., is due to LG. and Du. influence; comp. Du. smijten, ‘to sling, throw.’ Yet it is to be observed that the OHG. and MidHG. vbs. are compounded usually with bi, or rather be (as in Goth. and AS.), hence the OTeut. root smī̆t probably signifies ‘to throw at.’

The corresponding ModHG. vb. schmeißen, ‘cacare’ (MidHG. smeizen, ‘cacare’), is a factitive of smîȥen. See schmißen.

schmelzen, vb., ‘to melt, dissolve,’ from the equiv. MidHG. smëlzen, OHG. smëlzan; also as factitive ModHG. schmelzen, MidHG. and OHG. smęlzen, ‘to smelt, liquefy’; comp. E. to smelt. The pre-Teut. root smeld, contained in these words and in the allied term Schmalz, is cognate with the root meld (see Malz), and Gr. μέλδω, ‘to melt.’ From the Teut. cognates the Rom. terms, Ital. smalto and Fr. émail, ‘enamel,’ are usually derived.

Schmergel, m., ‘emery,’ early ModHG. only, from the equiv. Ital. smeriglio.

Schmerl, m., Schmerlin, ‘merlin,’ from MidHG. smirl, m., smirlîn, ‘mountain falcon,’ OHG. smirl, m., OIc. smyrell; loan-words from Ron.; comp. Ital. smerlo, smeriglione, Fr. émerillon, ‘stone-falcon’; E. merlin comes from Fr. The Rom. name of the bird is usually derived from Lat. merula, ‘blackbird’; “it is said that the Lat. word is applied to a bird similar to the blackbird.”

Schmerle, f., ‘loach,’ from MidHG. smërl, smërle, f., ‘loach, groundling’; MidHG. also smërlinc, m., and smërlîn, n.; of obscure origin.

Schmerz, m., ‘pain,’ from the equiv. MidHG. smërz, m., OHG. smërzo, m., smërza, f.; allied to OHG. smërzan, vb., MidHG. smërzen, ‘to smart, pain,’ AS. smeortan, ‘to pain, smart,’ E. smart, vb. and subst. MidE. smerte, E. smart, adj., make it probable that the cognates are related to Lat. mordêre, ‘to bite,’ Gr. σμερδνός, σμερδαλεός, ‘horrible'; the Aryan root smerd, Teut. smert, signifies perhaps ‘to stick, bite.’ Comp. bitter.

Schmetten, see Schmant.

Schmetterling, m., ‘butterfly,’ ModHG. only; in the earlier periods a term closely connected with ModHG. Falter (Zweifalter) is used. In most of the ModHG. dials. this literary term is also wanting; in Bav. müllermaler (so too in the Fulda dial.) or sommervogel, Suab. baufalter or weifalter. In other dials. occur Milchdieb, Molkendieb (Westph. also molkentövener, smantlecker), LG. Buttervogel or Butterfliege (AS. butorfleóge, E. butterfly), which may perhaps explain ModHG. Schmetterling. The latter term is probably derived from ModHG. Schmetten, ‘cream,’ which, like Schmetterling, is native to the eastern part of Middle