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There's at least three etymologies. The one you usually see is to connect it with German Schmuck 'ornament, decoration, jewels' (English smock is cognate with the German word); another one is in Kluge, from Slovenian smok 'fool'; and finally an origin in Slavic smok 'snake, dragon' (this is the one that the A-H gives). Of the two Yiddish dictionaries I have, neither Weinreich and Harvaky list the word. (This is weird since Harkavy isn't that squeamish and does list shmue 'cunt' and pots (pl. pets) 'penis; fool.) The vowel is problematic. I've always heard the word pronounced as /Sm@k/ and never /Smuk/, but then pots came into English as /p@ts/, too. shmuts 'dirt, filth' came in as /Smuts/, so I think that the Yiddish word should be shmok. I'm just not sure, but I lean toward the 'snake, dragon' rather than the 'jewels' etymology.
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Civilian
inselpeter 01/22/04 07:31 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Faldage 01/22/04 07:40 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Capfka 01/22/04 07:43 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
wwh 01/22/04 08:08 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
musick 01/22/04 09:17 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Jackie 01/23/04 01:35 AM ![]()
Re: Civilian
inselpeter 01/23/04 02:31 AM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Jackie 01/23/04 03:06 AM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Wordwind 01/23/04 03:13 AM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Faldage 01/23/04 12:13 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
inselpeter 01/23/04 01:36 PM ![]()
Re: Schmuck
Faldage 01/23/04 01:38 PM ![]()
Re: Schmuck
maverick 01/23/04 02:03 PM ![]()
Re: shmok
jheem 01/23/04 03:09 PM ![]()
Re: shmok
of troy 01/23/04 05:53 PM ![]()
Re: shmok
jheem 01/23/04 06:04 PM ![]()
smock smock smock smock smock
Sparteye 01/23/04 07:06 PM ![]()
Re: smack
jheem 01/23/04 07:14 PM ![]()
Re: shmok
inselpeter 01/23/04 07:15 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Jackie 01/23/04 02:16 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Father Steve 01/23/04 05:24 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
inselpeter 01/23/04 07:17 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
musick 01/23/04 07:25 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
jheem 01/23/04 07:31 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Faldage 01/23/04 07:39 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
musick 01/23/04 08:09 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
inselpeter 01/23/04 10:02 PM ![]()
Re:Military
wow 01/23/04 03:07 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
tsuwm 01/23/04 08:12 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Zed 01/23/04 08:40 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
inselpeter 01/23/04 10:05 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Bingley 01/24/04 12:19 AM ![]()
Re: Civilian
belMarduk 01/24/04 04:17 AM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Wordwind 01/25/04 01:37 AM ![]()
Re: did someone say this already?
Buffalo Shrdlu 01/25/04 01:40 AM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Father Steve 01/25/04 03:18 AM ![]()
Re: Civilian
hibernicus 01/26/04 03:18 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Faldage 01/26/04 03:24 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
Solamente, Doug. 01/27/04 12:21 AM ![]()
Re: Civilian
jheem 01/27/04 01:31 PM ![]()
Re: Civilian
TEd Remington 01/27/04 12:50 AM ![]()
Re: ROTK
Buffalo Shrdlu 01/27/04 10:27 AM
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