schier

From Middle High German schier, from Old High German skiaro (“fast, immediately”). Cognate with German schier.

• IPA^(key): /ʃiər/

schier

1. almost, nearly

From Old Dutch *skīr, from Proto-Germanic *skīriz.

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schier

1. (archaic) almost

• schiereiland - peninsula

• IPA^(key): /ʃiːɐ̯/

From Middle High German schir (“immediate, quick”) (adv. schire), Old High German skeri (“sharp, acute, quick, rapid”), likely cognate with Old Slavonic скоръ (skorŭ, “rapid”) (Russian скорый (skoryj)), Lithuanian skėrỹs (“grasshopper”), Greek σκαίρειν (skaírein, “to jump”).

Grimm assumes partial conflation with scheir (“pure, bright”) (English sheer).

schier (comparative schierer, superlative am schiersten)

1. next, adjacent, immediate, soon, sudden

schier

1. soon, nearly, almost

   1545: Hüter, ist die Nacht schier hin? (Luther, Isaiah 21:11)

   1545: Ich habe schier meine Augen ausgeweinet (Luther, Lamentations 2:11)

• fast, beinahe

From Low German, adopted in High German in the 18th century, the High German equivalent scheir gradually falling out of use; cognate with scheuern (“to scour”), like sheer from Proto-Germanic *skīriz (“pure, sheer”).

schier (comparative schierer, superlative am schiersten)

1. pure, clear, bright, sheer
2. (of meat) without bones, fat, or tendons

• bloß, rein