schier

See also: Schier

Alemannic German

Etymology

From Middle High German schier, from Old High German skiaro (“fast, immediately”). Cognate with German schier.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃiər/

Adverb

schier

1. almost, nearly

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sxiːr/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: schier
• Rhymes: -iːr

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch schiere, from Old Dutch *skīr, from Proto-Germanic *skīriz.

Adverb

schier

1. (formal) almost
2. (obsolete) quickly

Derived terms

• schiereiland

Adjective

schier (not comparable)

1. (archaic, dialectal) fast, quick

Inflection

Inflection of schier
uninflected	schier
inflected	schiere
comparative	—
		positive
predicative/adverbial		schier
indefinite	m./f. sing.	schiere
	n. sing.	schier
	plural	schiere
definite		schiere
partitive		schiers

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch schier, from Old Dutch scieri, from Proto-Germanic [Term?].

Adjective

schier (not comparable)

1. (dialectal) neat, tidy, proper
2. (archaic, dialectal) grey, in particular light grey
3. (dialectal, especially of soil) infertile
4. (dialectal, of cattle) lean, well-shaped, not fat
5. (obsolete) white

Inflection

Inflection of schier
uninflected	schier
inflected	schiere
comparative	—
		positive
predicative/adverbial		schier
indefinite	m./f. sing.	schiere
	n. sing.	schier
	plural	schiere
definite		schiere
partitive		schiers

Derived terms

• Schiermonnikoog

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German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃiːɐ̯/

Etymology 1

From Middle High German schir (“immediate, quick”) (adv. schire), Old High German skeri (“sharp, acute, quick, rapid”), likely cognate with Old Church Slavonic скоръ (skorŭ, “rapid”) (Russian скорый (skoryj)), Limburgish skėrỹs (“grasshopper”), Ancient Greek σκαίρειν (skaírein, “to jump”).

Grimm assumes partial conflation with scheir (“pure, bright”) (English sheer).

Adjective

schier (comparative schierer, superlative am schiersten)

1. next, adjacent, immediate, soon, sudden

Adverb

schier

1. soon, nearly, almost

   Synonyms: fast, beinahe

   • 1545, Martin Luther transl., Biblia: Das ist: Die gantze Heilige Schrifft, Deudsch, Auffs new zugericht, Isaiah 21:11:

     Hüter ist die nacht schier hin?

Etymology 2

From Low German, adopted in High German in the 18th century, the High German equivalent scheir gradually falling out of use; cognate with scheuern (“to scour”), like sheer from Proto-Germanic *skīriz (“pure, sheer”).

Adjective

schier (comparative schierer, superlative am schiersten)

1. pure, clear, bright, sheer

   Synonyms: bloß, rein

2. (of meat) without bones, fat, or tendons

Further reading

• “schier” in Duden online
• “schier” in Duden online

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German Low German

Etymology

From Middle Low German schîr, from Old Saxon skīr, from Proto-Germanic *skīriz, from Proto-Indo-European *sḱēy- 'luster, gloss, shadow'.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃiːɾ/

Adjective

schier (comparative schierer, superlative schierst)

1. pure, clear, bright, sheer
2. clean
3. neat, tidy
4. pure, unmixed, unblended
5. (together with maken) finished, disposed, clean

References

• Der neue SASS: Plattdeutsches Wörterbuch, Plattdeutsch - Hochdeutsch, Hochdeutsch - Plattdeutsch. Plattdeutsche Rechtschreibung, sixth revised edition (2011, →ISBN, Wachholtz Verlag, Neumünster)