An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Igel

by Friedrich Kluge

Igel, masculine, ‘hedgehog,’ from the equivalent Middle High German igel, Old High German igil, masculine; corresponding to Dutch egel, Anglo-Saxon igl (îl), in English, however, hedgehog, to which Old Icelandic igull is equivalent Greek ‘ἐχῖνος, Old Slovenian ježĭ, Lithuanian eżýs, ‘hedgehog,’ are undoubtedly cognate. A West-Aryan *eghî-nos, ‘hedgehog,’ must be assumed; compare Gothic katils, from Latin catînus, Gothic asilus, from Latin asinus (so too Esel, Himmel, Kümmel, Kessel). Very different from this word is the second component of the compound Blutigel, properly Blutegel; in Middle High German simply ëgel, ëgele, Old High German ëgala, feminine, ‘leech.’ That this Old High German ëgala is connected etymologically with Old High German igil, ‘hedgehog,’ is improbable on account of the meaning only.