schääl

Central Franconian

Alternative forms

• scheal, schell (parts of Moselle Franconian)

Etymology

From Middle High German schel, -wes, from Old High German skelah, from Proto-West Germanic *skelh. Compare German scheel, Dutch scheel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃɛːl/

Adjective

schääl (masculine schääle, feminine schääl, comparative schääler, superlative et schäälste)

1. having a crooked or limited view: cross-eyed, one-eyed, or squinting
2. (figurative) not right; false, crooked
3. (figurative) referring to the other bank of the Rhine (now mostly the eastern one)

Usage notes

• Originally, the “schääl” side of the Rhine was the other bank depending on where the speaker came from. However, it is now widely accepted that the term refers to the right (eastern) bank, and some people from that side have adopted it with a certain pride. This development is probably due to the fact that cities like Cologne, Bonn, Koblenz are all centered on the left (western) bank.