An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/schmeißen

by Friedrich Kluge

schmeißen, verb, ‘to smite, fling, kick (of horses),’ from Middle High German smîȥen, ‘to rub, strike’; the latter meanings are the earlier, as is shown by Gothic smeitan (only in gasmeitan and bi-smeitan), ‘to spread over, besmear’; compare Anglo-Saxon smîtan, English to smite. The meaning of Modern High German schmeißen, compared with that of Old High German and Middle High German, is due to Low German and Dutch influence; compare Dutch smijten, ‘to sling, throw.’ Yet it is to be observed that the Old High German and Middle High German verbs are compounded usually with bi, or rather be (as in Gothic and Anglo-Saxon), hence the Old Teutonic root smī̆t probably signifies ‘to throw at.’ The corresponding Modern High German verb schmeißen, ‘cacare’ (Middle High German smeizen, ‘cacare’), is a factitive of smîȥen. See schmißen.