Английский Этимологический словарь - spell (1)

- "name the letters of," O.E. spellian "to tell, speak," infl. by O.Fr. espeller "declare, spell," from a Gmc. source (cf. O.H.G. spellon "to tell"), from P.Gmc. *spellan, from PIE *spel- "to say aloud, recite." Meaning "write or say the letters of a word" is 14c., from notion of "read letter by letter, read with difficulty."