Kugel

From Middle High German kugel, kugele, of uncertain origin, but probably related to Keule (“club”). Possibly from Proto-Germanic *kuggilaz (“knobbed instrument”), derivative of Proto-Germanic *kuggǭ (“cog, swelling”), from Proto-Indo-European *gewgʰ- (“swelling, bow”), from Proto-Indo-European *gew-, *gū- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”), perhaps same source of Albanian gogël “acorn, small ball”. Further discussion Outside of loans from German (as in Danish kugle and Dutch kogel), it appears only in German, and only from the Middle High German period, as kugel, kugele, referring to a ball used in games (Spielkugel). Nevertheless, the word seems to be of genuinely Germanic origin. A Swiss dialect form has an additional r, in krugle, found already in Middle High German in the diminutive form krúgellin (Konrad of Würzburg, d. 1287). Middle German variants of the word in the original sense “ball used in skittles or Paille-maille” are kaule, kulle, while Low German had cognates of Klotz. The sense “bullet” is directly via comparison with the ball in skittles, already in use for lead or iron spheres used as projectiles (fired with slingshots or similar) before firearms became widespread. Also compared are Kegel (“pin or peg used in a game (such as skittles)”), as well as English cudgel and cog, though these connections are far from certain.