"S" Word Origins

schadenfreude

German

From German Schaden "harm, damage" and Freude "joy".

Schaefer

German

From German Schäfer ("shepherd"), from Middle High German schæfære.

Schafer

German

From German Schäfer.

schav

Origin

From Yiddish שטשאַוו (shtshav), from Polish szczaw.

schedule

Late Latin

From Old French cedule, from Late Latin schedula ("strip of paper"), from Greek skhedē ("papyrus leaf"). The modern "sk"-like pronunciation in American English came later, influenced by the spelling.

Scheherazade

Persian

From Classical Persian شَهْرَازَاد (šahrāzād), possibly from Middle Persian elements meaning "of noble lineage."

schema

Greek

From Greek skhema "form, figure, appearance".

schematic

Origin

From "scheme"/"schema" plus the suffix "-atic".

scheme

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin schēma ("figure, form"), from Greek skhēma, related to a word meaning "to hold". A doublet of "schema".

schemer

Origin

From scheme + -er.

Schiff

German

Borrowed from German Schiff, "ship."

Schiller

German

From German Schiller ("shimmer, iridescence").

schilling

Proto-Germanic

From German Schilling, from Proto-Germanic *skillingaz — a doublet of the English word "shilling".

Schindler

German

Borrowed from German Schindler. Doublet of Shingler.

schism

Origin

From Middle English scisme, from Old French cisme or scisme, from Ancient Greek σχίσμα (skhísma, “division”), from σχίζω (skhízō, “I split”). Doublet of schisma. Compare chasm. This word was historically pronounced /ˈsɪzəm/ (and still is among the clergy); the pronunciations /ˈʃɪzəm/, /ˈskɪzəm/ are due to the spelling (the latter may have been reinforced by learned influence); compare schedule.

schizo

Origin

A clipped form of "schizophrenic".

schizoid

Origin

From schiz(ophrenia)- + -oid, from German, from Ancient Greek σχίζω (skhízō, “to split”) and εἶδος (eîdos, “form, likeness”).

schizophrenia

German

Coined in German by psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler from Greek skhizein ("to split") and phrēn ("mind"). It does not mean "split personality" — that's a common misunderstanding.

schlemiel

Origin

Borrowed from Yiddish שלימיל (shlimil).

schlep

German

From Yiddish shlepn ("to drag"), from Middle High German slepen.

schlepper

Origin

From schlep + -er.

schlocky

Origin

From schlock + -y.

schlong

Origin

Borrowed from Yiddish שלאַנג (shlang, “snake”; by extension, “a penis”) or German Schlange.

schmaltzy

Origin

From schmaltz + -y.

Schmeling

German

Borrowed from German Schmeling.

Schmidt

German

From German Schmidt ("smith"); a doublet of Smith.

Schmitt

German

Borrowed from German Schmitt.

schmo

Origin

From Yiddish, alteration of schmuck. Compare also Russian чмо (čmo, “jerk, schmuck”).

schmooze

Hebrew

From Yiddish shmues ("talk, chat"), from Hebrew shemu'ot ("rumors, news").

schmuck

Yiddish

From Yiddish shmok, originally a vulgar word for "penis" that shifted to mean "fool" or "jerk".

schmuckiness

Origin

From schmucky + -ness. First use appears c. 1961 as shmuckiness.

Schnabel

German

From German Schnabel, "beak," describing the tapered, beak-like shape of the load-bearing ends of these rail cars.

schnapps

German

Borrowed from German Schnaps.

Schneider

German

From German schneiden, "to cut."

Schnell

Origin

German and Jewish surname, from the adjective schnell (“quick, swift”). Compare Snell, Speed.

schnitzel

German

Borrowed directly from German Schnitzel ("cutlet").

schnorrer

Origin

Borrowed from Yiddish שנאָרער (shnorer) or German Schnorrer.

schnozzle

Origin

Probably from Yiddish שנויץ (shnoyts, “snout”), cognate to German Schnauze (“snout, muzzle”) and English snout. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests the word may be pseudo-Yiddish coined in English. Attested since 1930.

scholar

Late Latin

From Old English scōlere ("learner"), from Late Latin scholāris, from schola ("school"), ultimately from Greek skholē ("leisure, learned discussion").

scholared

Origin

From scholar + -ed.

scholastic

Latin

From Latin scholasticus, from Greek skholastikos, ultimately related to "school".

Schon

German

From German schön, "handsome, beautiful."

school

Latin

From Old English scōl, borrowed from Latin schola, itself from Greek skholē — which originally meant "leisure" or "spare time," since study was once seen as something done in one's free time.

schoolboy

Origin

A straightforward compound of school and boy.

schoolchild

Origin

From school + child.

schooler

Origin

Formed from school plus the agent suffix -er.

schoolfellow

Origin

From school + fellow.

schoolgirl

Origin

A compound of school and girl.