From Middle High German smeicheln, smeichelen, of uncertain origin. Possibly an iterative of Middle High German smeichen; or alternatively from Old High German *smeihhalōn, from Proto-West Germanic *smaikulōn (“to caress, flatter, stroke”), an iterative of Proto-West Germanic *smaikōn. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *smē(y)g- / *smī̌g-, a guttural extension of Proto-Indo-European *smē- / *smēy- (“to smear, wipe over”). Equivalent to schmeichen + -eln. Cognate with German Low German smeicheln (“to coax, flatter”), Saterland Frisian smekelje (“to flatter”). Related also to Dutch smeken (“to beg, implore”), Old English smācian (“to stroke, caress, pat”), English smicker, as well as Polish smagły (“swarthy”) and perhaps Latin macula (“a spot”).[1][2]
schmeicheln (weak, third-person singular present schmeichelt, past tense schmeichelte, past participle geschmeichelt, auxiliary haben)
| infinitive | schmeicheln | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| present participle | schmeichelnd | ||||
| past participle | geschmeichelt | ||||
| auxiliary | haben | ||||
| indicative | subjunctive | ||||
| singular | plural | singular | plural | ||
| present | ich schmeichle ich schmeichele ich schmeichel |
wir schmeicheln | i | ich schmeichele ich schmeichle |
wir schmeicheln |
| du schmeichelst | ihr schmeichelt | du schmeichelest du schmeichlest |
ihr schmeichelet ihr schmeichlet | ||
| er schmeichelt | sie schmeicheln | er schmeichele er schmeichle |
sie schmeicheln | ||
| preterite | ich schmeichelte | wir schmeichelten | ii | ich schmeichelte1 | wir schmeichelten1 |
| du schmeicheltest | ihr schmeicheltet | du schmeicheltest1 | ihr schmeicheltet1 | ||
| er schmeichelte | sie schmeichelten | er schmeichelte1 | sie schmeichelten1 | ||
| imperative | schmeichle (du) schmeichel (du) schmeichele (du) |
schmeichelt (ihr) | |||
1Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.