Etymology Explorer › EnglishWhere does “schmaltz” come from? schmaltz (English) comes from Yiddish שמאַלץ, from Middle High German smalz, from Old High German smalz, from Proto-West Germanic smalt, from Proto-Germanic *smultą.
schmaltz (English): Liquid chicken fat; Excessively sentimental art...
Definitions Liquid chicken fat; Excessively sentimental art... Ancestry of “schmaltz”, step by step schmaltz traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Yiddish שמאַלץ Step Language Word Meaning 1 Yiddish שמאַלץ grease, fat 2 Middle High German smalz — 3 Old High German smalz lard, fat 4 Proto-West Germanic smalt fat, lard; oil, semi-liquid fat 5 Proto-Germanic *smultą —
via German Schmalz Step Language Word Meaning 1 German Schmalz grease; lard; schmaltz 2 Middle Low German smal small 3 Old Saxon smal — 4 Proto-Germanic smalaz small 5 Proto-Indo-European (s)mal- small; little
Words derived from “schmaltz”