Where does “Schmuckkasten” come from?
Schmuckkasten (German) comes from German schmuck, from Low German smuk, from Middle Low German smuk, from Proto-West Germanic smeugan, from Proto-Germanic *smeuganą, from Proto-Indo-European (s)mewk-, from Proto-Indo-European smewg- — to slip, glide, slide; to slip, glide; be slimy.
Schmuckkasten (German): jewelry box
Definitions
- jewelry box
Ancestry of “Schmuckkasten”, step by step
Schmuckkasten traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German schmuck
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | schmuck | pretty, spruce |
| 2 | Low German | smuk | — |
| 3 | Middle Low German | smuk | lithe, neat; lithe, delicate, neat, trim;... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | smeugan | to creep, to crawl |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *smeuganą | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mewk- | to let loose, release; to slip away, escape, flee |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | smewg- | to slip, glide, slide; to slip, glide; be slimy |