schelmn.
/ʃɛlm/ archaic.
A rascal. (A term of abuse or contempt, attributed to German speakers.)
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > roguery > rogue > [noun]
harlot?c1225
truantc1290
shreward1297
boyc1300
lidderon13..
cokinc1330
pautenerc1330
bribera1387
bricouna1400
losarda1400
rascal?a1400
custronc1400
knapea1450
sloven?a1475
limmerc1485
knavatec1506
smaik?1507
smy?1507
koken?a1513
swinger1513
Cock Lorel?1518
pedlar's French1530
varletc1540
losthope?c1550
makeshift1554
wild rogue1567
miligant1568
rogue1568
crack-halter1573
rascallion1582
schelm1584
scoundrel1589
scaba1592
bezonian1592
slave1592
rampallion1593
Scanderbeg1601
roly-poly1602
canter1608
cantler1611
gue1612
fraudsman1613
Cathayana1616
crack-hempa1616
foiterer1616
tilt1620
picaro1622
picaroon1629
sheepmanc1640
rapscallion1648
scaramouch1677
fripon1691
trickster1711
shake-bag1794
sinner1809
cad1838
badmash1843
scattermouch1892
jazzbo1914
society > morality > moral evil > wickedness > roguery, knavery, or rascalry > [noun] > rogue, knave, or rascal
harlot?c1225
knavec1275
truantc1290
shreward1297
boinarda1300
boyc1300
lidderon13..
cokinc1330
pautenerc1330
bribera1387
bricouna1400
losarda1400
rascal?a1400
knapea1450
lotterela1450
limmerc1485
Tutivillus1498
knavatec1506
smy?1507
koken?a1513
swinger1513
Cock Lorel?1518
pedlar's French1530
cust1535
rabiator1535
varletc1540
Jack1548
kern1556
wild rogue1567
miligant1568
rogue1568
tutiviller1568
rascallion1582
schelm1584
scoundrel1589
rampallion1593
Scanderbeg1601
scroyle1602
canter1608
cantler1611
skelm1611
gue1612
Cathayana1616
foiterer1616
tilt1620
picaro1622
picaroon1629
sheepmanc1640
rapscallion1648
marrow1656
Algerine1671
scaramouch1677
fripon1691
shake-bag1794
badling1825
tiger1827
two-for-his-heels1837
ral1846
skeezicks1850
nut1882
gun1890
scattermouch1892
tug1896
natkhat1901
jazzbo1914
scutter1940
bar steward1945
hoor1965
1584 ? Sir P. Sidney Disc. Def. Earl of Leicester in Misc. Wks. (1829) 272 An evil tongued shelm, as the Germans especially call such people.
1603–5 J. Melville Mem. Own Life (1735) 23 The Land~grave called him Shelm, Pultroon, Traitor [etc.].
c1619 Barnavelt ii. i, in A. H. Bullen Coll. Old Eng. Plays (1883) II. 229 The proude Shellams [printed Shellains] are paid too well.
1654 Trag. Alphonsus ii. 17 Thou art a schelm.
1654 Trag. Alphonsus ii. 27 Call you me shelme?
1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward I. ii. 32 The rascally schelm shot my bird with an arrow.
1889 A. Conan Doyle Micah Clarke xxi. 202 Some rascally schelm..stabbed my horse.
Derivatives
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > roguery > [adjective]
pautenerc1330
palliard1484
limmer?a1513
limmerful?a1513
slovenly?1518
knavish1552
patchingc1555
rascal1566
roguing1566
knaifatic1568
roguish1572
rascally1586
land-loping1587
Scanderbegging1593
cullionly1608
rogorous1609
loseling1624
scoundrel1643
schelmish1654
pickled1683
rapscallionly1699
scoundrelish1705
rapscallion1711
pickle1774
scoundrelly1790
picaresque1822
furciferous1823
scapegrace1830
society > morality > moral evil > wickedness > roguery, knavery, or rascalry > [adjective]
pautenerc1330
palliard1484
varletc1485
knavisha1492
limmer?a1513
limmerful?a1513
briberous?1536
patchingc1555
rascal1566
roguing1566
roguish1575
arrant1581
skybala1585
rascally1586
land-loping1587
shag-ragc1590
Scanderbegging1593
Scanderbeg1601
rogorous1609
rogueya1627
scoundrel1643
schelmish1654
skelm1673
rapscallionly1699
rapscallion1711
scoundrelly1790
furciferous1823
scapegrace1830
1654 Trag. Alphonsus iii. 34 I highly do mistrust this schelmish bowr.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1910; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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n.1584