spell, Etymology 2

Etymology 2

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 (“to tell, speak”), 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* (literally “to tell in advance”).