*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of spell

From Middle English spell, spel, from Old English spell (“news, story”), from Proto-Germanic *spellą (“speech, account, tale”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pel- (“to tell”) or from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to speak,

5 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 5 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers. · A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula. · Speech, discourse.

verb

To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm. · To hanker or yearn (for something).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English spell, spel, from Old English spell (“news, story”), from Proto-Germanic *spellą (“speech, account, tale”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pel- (“to tell”) or from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to speak, to sound”) with the s-mobile prefix. Cognate with dialectal German Spill, Icelandic spjall (“discussion, talk”), spjalla (“to discuss, to talk”), guðspjall (“gospel”) and Albanian fjalë (“word”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*(s)pel-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionspellenm
  • Inherited-form mentionspellang · news, story
  • Inherited-form mention*spellągem-pro · speech, account, tale
  • Derivation mention*(s)pel-ine-pro · to tell
  • Derivation mention*bʰel-ine-pro · to speak, to sound
  • Cognate mentionSpillde
  • Cognate mentionspjallis · discussion, talk
  • Cognate mentionfjalësq · word
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)pel-"
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      "args": {
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      "expansion": "Middle English spell"
    },
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    },
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      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *(s)pel- (“to tell”)"
    },
    {
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      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
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        "2": "Spill"
      },
      "expansion": "German Spill"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
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        "1": "is",
        "2": "spjall",
        "t": "discussion, talk"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic spjall (“discussion, talk”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sq",
        "2": "fjalë",
        "t": "word"
      },
      "expansion": "Albanian fjalë (“word”)"
    }
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      "spell#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "spell#Old_English"
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/spellą"
    ],
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/(s)pel-"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰel-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰel-"
    ],
    [
      "s-mobile",
      "s-mobile"
    ],
    [
      "Spill",
      "Spill#German"
    ],
    [
      "spjall",
      "spjall#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "spjalla",
      "spjalla#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "guðspjall",
      "guðspjall#Icelandic"
    ],
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      "fjalë",
      "fjalë#Albanian"
    ]
  ],
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        "Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.",
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To write or say the letters that form a word or part of a word. · To read (something) as though letter by letter; to peruse slowly or with effort. · Of letters: to compose (a word). · To clarify; to explain in detail.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English spellen, from Anglo-Norman espeler, espeleir, Old French espeller, espeler (compare Modern French épeler), from Frankish *spelōn, merged with native Old English spellian (“to tell, speak”), both eventually from Proto-Germanic *spellōną (“to speak”). Related with etymology 1. The sense “indicate a future event” probably in part a backformation from forespell (literally “to tell in advance”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 5 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "spellen"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
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    },
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    },
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        "3": "*spelōn"
      },
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    },
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    },
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    ],
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      "espeler",
      "espeler#Old_French"
    ],
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      "épeler",
      "épeler#French"
    ],
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/spelōn"
    ],
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      "spellian",
      "spellian#Old_English"
    ],
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      "*spellōną",
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    ],
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      "forespell",
      "forespell#English"
    ]
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      "lang_code": "csb",
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        "To clarify; to explain in detail."
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Source etymology 3 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To work in place of (someone). · To rest (someone or something), to give someone or something a rest or break. · To rest from work for a time.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English spelen, from Old English spelian (“to represent, take or stand in the place of another, act as a representative of another”), akin to Middle English spale (“a rest or break”), Old English spala (“representative, substitute”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionspelenenm
  • Inherited-form mentionspelianang · to represent, take or stand in the place of another, act as a representative of another
  • Cognate mentionspaleenm · a rest or break
  • Cognate mentionspalaang · representative, substitute
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "spelen"
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    },
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
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        "2": "spale",
        "t": "a rest or break"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
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        "1": "ang",
        "2": "spala",
        "t": "representative, substitute"
      },
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    }
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      "spale#Middle_English"
    ],
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Source etymology 3 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A shift (of work); (rare) a set of workers responsible for a specific turn of labour. · A definite period (of work or other activity). · An indefinite period of time (usually with a qualifier); by extension, a relatively short distance. · A period of rest; time off.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English spelen, from Old English spelian (“to represent, take or stand in the place of another, act as a representative of another”), akin to Middle English spale (“a rest or break”), Old English spala (“representative, substitute”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionspelenenm
  • Inherited-form mentionspelianang · to represent, take or stand in the place of another, act as a representative of another
  • Cognate mentionspaleenm · a rest or break
  • Cognate mentionspalaang · representative, substitute

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

A splinter, usually of wood; a spelk. · The wooden bat in the game of trap ball, or knurr and spell.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English spel (“a thin piece of wood”), from Old Norse [Term?].

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionspeleenm · a thin piece of wood
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for spell →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
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Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c3BlbGw