An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Feile

by Friedrich Kluge

Feile, f., ‘file,’ from the equiv. MidHG. vîle, OHG. fîla, fîhala (not fĭhala), f.; corresponds to AS. feól (dial. variant *fîl), f., E. file, Du. vijl, ‘file.’ The OIc. term is þél, f., ‘file,’ with an abnormal initial sound; Goth *feihala or *þeihala must be assumed. The form with initial f from Aryan p points to the widely diffused root pik, ‘to scratch,’ akin to Lat. pingo, pictor, OSlov. pĭsati, ‘to write.’ Yet OIc. þel, from *þîhl, points to Teut. þinh, equiv. to pre-Teut. tek, tenk, in ModHG. Dachs; for the interchange of f and þ comp. düster (finster), Fackel, Fehme (also OHG. fîn, fîma compared with LG. dîme, ‘heap of corn.’