Where does “Schmierlappen” come from?

Schmierlappen (German) comes from German schmieren, from Middle High German smirn, from Middle High German smirwen, from Old High German smirwen, from Proto-West Germanic *smirwijan, from Proto-Germanic smirwijaną, from Proto-Germanic -janą, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti — he, she.

Schmierlappen (German): a base and gross person, arsewipe, shitrag

Definitions

  1. a base and gross person, arsewipe, shitrag

Ancestry of “Schmierlappen”, step by step

Schmierlappen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German schmieren

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanschmierento smear; to butter; to grease, oil, lubricate
2Middle High Germansmirn
3Middle High Germansmirwen
4Old High Germansmirwen
5Proto-West Germanic*smirwijanto smear
6Proto-Germanicsmirwijanąto smear, anoint
7Proto-Germanic-janąDerives denominatives from nouns and factitives...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
10Chichewaiyehe, she

via German lappen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanlappencloth, rag
2Middle High Germanlappe
3Old High Germanlappo
4Frankishlappācloth, rag, lobe; torn piece of cloth; rag, torn...
5Proto-Germaniclappǭ
6Proto-Indo-Europeanleb-to hang down loosely; lip; lick
Every word from Chichewa iye