Where does “schalk” come from?
schalk (German) comes from Middle Dutch schalc, from Old High German skalk, from Proto-West Germanic skalk, from Proto-Germanic skalkaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
Ancestry of “schalk”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | schalc | — |
| 2 | Old High German | skalk | serf |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | skalk | servant, retainer |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skalkaz | servant |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kelH- | to cut; to split, to separate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |