An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Schilling

by Friedrich Kluge

Schilling, masculine ‘shilling, money,’ from the equivalent Middle High German schilling, Old High German scilling, masculine, a common Teutonic term for a coin; compare Gothic skilliggs, Old Icelandic skillingr, Anglo-Saxon sčilling, English shilling, Dutch schelling, Old Saxon scilling. Formed from Old Teutonic skellan, ‘to sound,’ with the suffix -inga-, a favourite termination in Old German names of coins (see Pfenning, Old High German cheisuring, English farthing); hence Schilling is literally ‘ringing coin.’ From Teutonic are derived Italian scellino and French escalin, a coin worth about sixpence, as well as the equivalent Old Slovenian sklęzǐ.