An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Hammel
Hammel, m., from the equiv. MidHG. and MidLG. hamel, OHG. hamal, m., ‘wether’ (MidHG. also ‘steep, rugged height; cliff, pole’); prop. an adj. used as a subst., OHG. hamal, ‘mutilated,’ which elucidates the MidHG. meanings; OHG. hamalôn, MidHG. hameln (and hamen), ‘to mutilate,’ AS. hamelian, E. to hamble (‘mutilate, lame’); OHG. hamalscorro, m., ‘boulder,’ OHG. hamal-, hamalung-stat, f., ‘place of execution,’ MidHG. hamelstat, n. and m., ‘indented coast,’ hamelstat, f., ‘rugged ground.’ Allied to OHG. ham (inflected hammêr), adj., ‘mutilated, crippled’ (comp. hemmen), just as Fr. mouton to Lat. mutilus.