An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Kegel

by Friedrich Kluge

Kegel (1.), masculine, ‘cone, nine-pin, sight (of a gun),’ from Middle High German and Middle Low German k€gel, masculine, ‘nine-pin,’ also ‘stick, cudgel, Old High German chęgil, ‘stake, plug,’ allied to Middle Dutch kegghe, Dutch keg, ‘wedge,’ Modern High German and Bavarian kag, ‘stump.’ Old High German chęgil, ‘plug,’ may have been Gothic *kagils (from pre-Teutonic gagho-), and might be cognate with Greek γόμφο-ς (φ for gh), ‘plug, wooden nail, wedge,’ with the root syllable nasalised. It cannot be decided whether Lithuanian żaginýs, ‘stake, post’ (żagaras, ‘dry branch’), is allied to Kegel, or rather to Kufe, ‘cheek of a sledge.’

Kegel (2.), masculine, ‘bastard’ (retained in Modern High German only in the phrase Kind und Kegel, ‘kith and kin’), from Middle High German kęgel, kękel, ‘illegitimate child,’ Of obscure origin.