schamel
/ˈsxaːməl/
adjective
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*skama- — shame
Overview
Meaning Now
- poor, needy, or destitute
- meager, scant, or insufficient in amount or quality
Literal older meaning
ashamed or embarrassed, stemming from the connection to feeling shame in a state of poverty
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Middle Dutch → Dutch
Earliest form
schamel
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The word originates from the notion that poverty is a state that causes shame. Historically, in Middle Dutch, it was frequently associated with 'arm' (poor), as in 'arm en schamel', characterizing the truly destitute.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*skamalaz
“ashamed”
Adjectival derivative of *skama- (shame).
- Middle Dutch
schamel
“ashamed, poor, miserable”
Used widely in religious texts to denote the 'poor' in spirit or body.
- Modern Dutch
schamel
“poor, meager”
The primary meaning shifted toward economic insufficiency.
Connections
Word parts
scham-
root
shame
-el
suffix
adjectival suffix
Related across languages
German
schäbig
shabby, poor
Old English
sceamu
shame
Explore next
Related to schamel
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.