German edit

Etymology edit

From Middle High German smeicheln, iterative of smeichen, from Old High German smeihhen (to caress), from a root related to Proto-Germanic *smaikijan, from Proto-Indo-European *smē(i)g- / *smī̌g-, a guttural extension of Proto-Indo-European *smē- / *smēi- (to smear, wipe over). Cognate with Dutch smeken (to beg, implore) and English smicker, as well as Polish smagły (swarthy) and perhaps Latin macula (a spot).[1][2]

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈʃmaɪ̯çəln/, [ˈʃmaɪ̯çl̩n]
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: schmei‧cheln

Verb edit

schmeicheln (weak, third-person singular present schmeichelt, past tense schmeichelte, past participle geschmeichelt, auxiliary haben)

  1. (with dative object) to flatter to an exaggerated degree
    jemandem schmeichelnto flatter someone

Conjugation edit

Derived terms edit

References edit

  1. ^ Wolfgang Pfeifer, editor (1993), “schmeicheln”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen (in German), 2nd edition, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN
  2. ^ schmeicheln” in Duden online

Further reading edit