An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Spanferkel

by Friedrich Kluge

Spanferkel, n., ‘sucking pig,’ a diminutive of MidHG. spęnvarch, n., ‘sucking pig’ (also in MidHG. spęn-sû-, -swîn). The first component is MidHG. spęn, f., ‘breast, milk,’ on whose equiv. variant spüne, spünne, MidHG. spünnevęrchelîn, ‘sucking pig,’ is based. Comp. Du. speen, ‘udder,’ and OHG. spunni, f., ‘breast,’ whose root is perhaps the same as that of spannen; akin also to Lith. spenýs, ‘teat.’