schmooze

The Semitic verb 'to hear' gave Hebrew šəmûʿôt 'reports, rumours', which Yiddish turned into shmues 'a chat'. German thieves' cant and American English each made their own verb of it, German schmusen 'to sweet-talk, cuddle' and American schmooze, friendly and often self-interested small talk, while Dutch smoes became an excuse.

Weakest linkCertain

The road to American English

From Yiddish to Rotwelsch, German

From Yiddish to Dutch

From Biblical Hebrew to Modern Hebrew

3000 BCEProto-Semitic

Hops are evenly spaced; labels show the year each form is first attested.

Jewish life