An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Spiel

by Friedrich Kluge

Spiel, n., ‘play, game, sport,’ from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. spil (gen. spiles), n., ‘jest, pastime, pleasure’; allied to spielen, ‘to play, sport, gamble,’ MidHG. spiln, OHG. spilôn, wk. vb., ‘to amuse oneself’; comp. Du. spelen, AS. spilian, OIc. spila, ‘to play.’ There are no undoubted cognates in the non-Teut. languages.