An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/fühlen

by Friedrich Kluge

fühlen, verb, ‘to feel, be sensible of, be sensitive to,’ a Middle German and Low German word incorporated in literary German since Luther's time (in Suabian and Alemannian spüren and merken, and in Bavarian empfinden are need); from the equivalent Middle High German vüelen, Old High German fuolen (Old High German also ‘to touch’); compare Old Saxon gifôlian, Dutch voelen, Anglo-Saxon fêlan, English to feel; a common West Teutonic word for ‘to feel’ (Gothic *fôljan). Akin to Old Icelandic falma, to grope.’ With the Teutonic root fôl, fal, an old term for ‘hand’ is connected; Old Saxon folm, Anglo-Saxon folm, Old High German folma, ‘hand’ (primitively allied to Sanscrit pâṇ, Greek παλάμη, Latin palma, Old Irish lám for *plâma).