An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Sprenkel

by Friedrich Kluge

Sprenkel (1.), masculine, ‘springe, noose, snare,’ Modern High German only, from Low German; compare Dutch sprenkel, ‘loop in a cable.’ The latter, like Old High German sprinka, Middle High German sprinke, feminine, ‘bird-trap,’ is based on a primary form springjô, from which English springe is also derived. This primary form is probably cognate with Lithuanian sprìngti, ‘to choke,’ sprangùs, ‘choking,’ Lettic sprangāt, ‘to cord, confine.’

Sprenkel (2.), masculine, ‘speck, spot,’ from Middle High German (Middle German) spręnkel, sprinkel, masculine, ‘spot,’ for which in Middle High German a form sprëckel without a nasal is used (also *sprünkel in sprünkelëht, ‘spotted’), allied to Icelandic sprekla, Swedish spräkla, ‘little spot,’ Swiss šprigel, šprägel. These cognates may be connected with English to freak, freckle, and further with Greek περκνός, Sanscrit pṛçni, ‘spotted, variegated,’ if sprek (spreg) and prek (preg) be regarded as the Aryan roots (with regard to the interchange of sp and p, compare that of st and t under drosseln and Stier). In that case there would probably be no historic connection between sprenkeln and springen.