An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Fackel

by Friedrich Kluge

Fackel, f., ‘torch,’ from the equiv. MidHG. vackele, vackel, OHG. facchala, f.; comp. AS. fœcele, f., ‘torch,’ with the abnormal variant þœcele, f. It is usually regarded as a loan-word from Lat. facula, (dimin. of fax). The sounds, however, point with greater probability to a genuinely Teut. word, which was perhaps connected with Lat. facula; Du. fakkel, f., has ck, like the HG. word, in contrast to AS. c; the vowels too of the AS. stem and derivative syllable tell in favour of a genuinely native word; likewise OHG. rôrea gafaclita, ‘reed shaken to and fro by the wind.’