An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Schönbartspiel

by Friedrich Kluge

Schönbartspiel neuter, ‘mummery, carnival play,’ a corruption of Middle High German schëmebart, masculine (also schëme-houbet), ‘mask,’ connecting the word with the adjective schön; schëmebart is properly ‘bearded mask,’ from Middle High German schëme, masculine, ‘shadow, mask.’