An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Tülle

by Friedrich Kluge

Tülle, f., ‘socket,’ MidHG. tülle, n., ‘ferule for fastening an iron point on a handle’ (usually ‘partition of boards, palisade’). OHG. has no corresponding form *tulli (Goth. *dulja-), which might be connected by gradation with ModHG. Thal (Tülle, lit. ‘deepening’). Others consider Fr. douille (from Lat. ductile, ‘channel’), ‘socket,’ as the ultimate source of MidHG. tülle. Fr. tuyau (E. tewel), Span. tudel, ‘pipe,’ are certainly not allied. The abnormal double sense of MidHG. tülle has not, however, been explained.