Where does “schelme” come from?

schelme (Middle High German) comes from Polish szelma, from German schelm — imp, rogue; prankster, rascal.

schelme (Middle High German): pest, plague; those who have fallen in battle

Definitions

  1. pest, plague; those who have fallen in battle

Ancestry of “schelme”, step by step

schelme traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Polish szelma

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Polishszelmarogue, imp, rascal
2Germanschelmimp, rogue; prankster, rascal

via Old High German scalmo

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanscalmopestilence; plague, pestilence

Words derived from “schelme”

Every word from German schelm →Every word from Polish szelma →