An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Takel

by Friedrich Kluge

Takel, neuter, ‘tackle,’ Modern High German only, adopted, like many nautical terms, from Low German; compare the equivalent Dutch takel, English tackle, Danish takkel, Swedish takel. The literal meaning of this, which is peculiar to maritime dialects, was ‘implements (in general),’ which leads to kinship with Gothic taujan, ‘to make’ (compare tooijen, ‘to adorn,’ English tool).