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