An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Klüngel

by Friedrich Kluge

Klüngel, neuter, ‘clew,’ from Middle High German *klüngel, klüngelîn, Old High German chlungilîn, neuter, ‘clew,’ diminutive of Old High German chlunga, feminine, ‘clew’; if ng be a suffix, as in jung, the word may be allied to Knäuel, Old High German chliuwa (root klu, Aryan glu), in which case it would be brought into connection with other terms; it is, however, more probably allied to English to cling, from Anglo-Saxon clingan, ‘to cling to, hold fast, adhere.’