spell

Meanings

Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.
A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula.
Speech, discourse.
A shift (of work); a set of workers responsible for a specific turn of labour.
A definite period (of work or other activity).
An indefinite period of time (usually with a qualifier); a relatively short distance.
A period of rest; time off.
A period of illness, or sudden interval of bad spirits, disease etc.
An uninterrupted series of alternate overs bowled by a single bowler.
A splinter, usually of wood; a spelk.
The wooden bat in the game of trap ball, or knurr and spell.

To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm.
To read (something) as though letter by letter; to peruse slowly or with effort.
To write or say the letters that form a word or part of a word.
To be able to write or say the letters that form words.
Of letters: to compose (a word).
To clarify; to explain in detail.
To indicate that (some event) will occur.
To constitute; to measure.
To speak, to declaim.
To tell; to relate; to teach.
To work in place of (someone).
To rest (someone or something), to give someone or something a rest or break.
To rest from work for a time.

From Middle English spell, spel, from Old English spell, from Proto-Germanic *spellą, from Proto-Indo-European *spel-. Cognate with dialectal German Spill, Icelandic spjall, spjalla, guðspjall and Albanian fjalë.
From Middle English spellen, from Anglo-Norman espeler, espeleir, Old French espeller, espeler (compare Modern French épeler), from Frankish *spelōn, merged with native Old English spellian, both eventually from Proto-Germanic *spellōną ("to speak"). Related with etymology 1. The sense “indicate a future event” probably in part a backformation from forespell.
From Middle English spelen, from Old English spelian, akin to Middle English spale, Old English spala.
Origin Unknown; perhaps a form of speld.

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