An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/spalten

by Friedrich Kluge

spalten, verb, ‘to split, cleave,’ from the equivalent Middle High German spalten, Old High German spaltan; compare Middle Low German spǫlden, Middle Dutch spalden, ‘to split.’ A strong verb peculiar to the Teutons of Middle Europe, and based on an Aryan root, sphalt; compare Sanscrit sphuṭ, sphaṭ (for sphlt), ‘to crack’ (causative ‘to split’). Probably connected with Middle High German spëlte, ‘lance splinter,’ Gothic spilda, ‘tablet,’ Old Icelandic spjald, ‘tablet.’