Kugel

See also: kugel

German

Kugeln

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkuːɡəl/

Etymology 1

From Middle High German kugel, kugele, of uncertain origin, but probably related to Keule (“club”).

(Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?) 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”.

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.

Noun

Kugel f (genitive Kugel, plural Kugeln, diminutive Kügelchen n or Kügellein n or Küglein n)

1. ball [13th century]
2. (firearms) bullet, projectile [15th century]

   Synonyms: Projektil, Geschoss

   Die Kugel ging mitten ins Herz. ― The bullet went right through the heart.

3. (firearms, loosely) round, cartridge, bullet

   Synonym: Patrone

   Er hatte noch drei Kugeln im Magazin. ― He had three rounds left in the magazine.

4. (astronomy, geography) orb, globe, celestial body [16th century]
5. (geometry) sphere, orb [16th century]

   Synonym: Sphäre

6. (heraldry) roundel (of any tincture)
7. (of icecream) scoop

Usage notes

• The German words Kugel and Ball are distinguished inasmuch as the former refers to solid balls (such as those used for billiards or bowling) while the latter refers to air-filled or elastic balls (such as tennis or soccer balls). This distinction may be neglected colloquially or jokingly.

Declension

Declension of Kugel [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Kugel	die	Kugeln
genitive	einer	der	Kugel	der	Kugeln
dative	einer	der	Kugel	den	Kugeln
accusative	eine	die	Kugel	die	Kugeln

Derived terms

• Babykugel
• Bowlingkugel
• Christbaumkugel
• Erdkugel
• Gewehrkugel
• Glaskugel
• Halbkugel
• Kristallkugel
• Kugelblitz
• Kugelfisch
• Kugelgelenk
• Kugelkopf
• kugeln
• Kugeloberfäche
• Kugelschreiber
• Kugelstoßen
• kuglicht
• Mottenkugel
• Schrotkugel
• verkugeln
• Weihnachtsbaumkugel
• Weihnachtskugel
• Zielkugel

 

Descendants

• → Kashubian: kùgla
• → Serbo-Croatian: kugla

Etymology 2

Noun

Kugel f (genitive Kugel, plural Kugeln)

1. alternative form of Kogel (“cowl”)

Declension

Declension of Kugel [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Kugel	die	Kugeln
genitive	einer	der	Kugel	der	Kugeln
dative	einer	der	Kugel	den	Kugeln
accusative	eine	die	Kugel	die	Kugeln

Further reading

• “Kugel” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Kugel” in Duden online
• “Kugel” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.