Where does “schlemiel” come from?
schlemiel (Dutch) comes from Yiddish שלימיל, from Hebrew שלא מועיל — who is not helpful.
schlemiel (Dutch): schlemiel
Ancestry of “schlemiel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Yiddish | שלימיל | ineffectual, inept person, bungler |
| 2 | Hebrew | שלא מועיל | who is not helpful |