19th century, fromYiddishשלימיל(shlimil). Further origin uncertain; see the Yiddish for more.
The rather odd spelling with-ih- follows the use ofAdelbert von Chamisso in his well-known novellaPeter Schlemihl (1813). Von Chamisso probably avoidedSchlemiel because it could have suggested a trisyllabic pronunciation as inGabriel (though he might have spelt*Schlemil).
Schlemihl m (strong,genitiveSchlemihls,pluralSchlemihle)
| singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | der | Schlemihl | die | Schlemihle |
| genitive | eines | des | Schlemihls | der | Schlemihle |
| dative | einem | dem | Schlemihl | den | Schlemihlen |
| accusative | einen | den | Schlemihl | die | Schlemihle |