411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Schelm
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
schelm
Dutch
Etymology
First attested as een beemd de Schelm genaamd in 1606. Likely cognate with dialectal nl scheluw crooked, askew.
Pronunciation
nl /sxɛlm/
nl Nl-schelm.ogg
nl Schelm
nl ɛlm 1
nl schelm
Proper noun
n
nl hamlet mun/Deurne p/North Brabant c/Netherlands
References
German
Etymology
From de gmh schelme pest, plague; those who have fallen in battle, de goh scalmo plague, from de gmw-pro *skalmjan, umlauted derivation from gmw-pro *skalman plague, epidemic, corpse, of uncertain origin, but possibly from de ine-pro *(s)kelH- to split, part, divide or ine-pro *(s)kelh₁- to parch, wither.
Cognate with gml schelm carrion, cadaver, nl schelm, is skelmir rogue.Schelm
Pronunciation
de /ʃɛlm/
de De-Schelm.ogg <<Germany>> (<<Berlin>>)
Noun
m,(e)s in
imp, rogue; de modern usage prankster, rascal
Marthens Garten Hab ich vor dem Menschen ein heimlich Grauen, / Und halt ihn für einen Schelm dazu! / Gott verzeih mir's, wenn ich ihm unrecht tu!
de Katrin Bettina Müller „Die drei Rätsel“ an der Deutschen Oper: Es rumpelt am Himmel und im Bauch Die Tageszeitung: taz 2025-10-13 https://taz.de/Die-drei-Raetsel-an-der-Deutschen-Oper/!6116516/ 0931-9085 Das große Wort führt ein Junge, Lasso (Emil Vandersee), ein Schelm in gestreiften Hosen. https://web.archive.org/web/20251023041937/https://taz.de/Die-drei-Raetsel-an-der-Deutschen-Oper/!6116516/ 23 October 2025
Usage notes
Originally a derogatory term, in modern usage mostly associated with playfulness (through semantic amelioration).
Declension
m,(e)s
Derived terms
de schelmisch Schelmenroman ein Schelm, der Böses dabei denkt
Descendants
pl szelma 1
ru ше́льма 2
References
Further reading