schüchtern
German
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle Low German schüchter, whence also (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Dutch schuchter. Pertaining to scheu. The final -n is an original case ending, which was sometimes added to the stem in Low German (compare albern).
Pronunciation
Adjective
schüchtern (comparative schüchterner, superlative am schüchternsten)
Usage notes
The words scheu and schüchtern both translate into English as “shy”. Although they are sometimes synonyms in German as well, there is generally a subtle distinction: scheu means “avoiding contact with others”, whereas schüchtern means “feeling uncomfortable or awkward in contact with others”. (Hence, one's being schüchtern may but need not lead to one's becoming scheu.)
Related terms
See also
Further reading
- “schüchtern” in Duden online