An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/schenkern

by Friedrich Kluge

schenkern, verb, ‘to sling, fling; loiter, lounge’; from late Middle High German slęnkern, ‘to sling,’ allied to Middle High German slęnge, slęnger, slęnker, ‘sling,’ Old High German slęngira, feminine, ‘sling’; derivatives from a root sling (see schlingen). From this was formed Old High German slinga, feminine, Middle High German slinge, feminine, ‘sling,’ whence the Romance term French elingue was borrowed; compare English sling, and see Schlinge.