spiel

Where does the word "spiel" come from? It comes from German/Yiddish Spiel, and was adopted directly into English (1800s-1900s).

Spiel’s story begins in German/Yiddish: Spiel meant “a game, a play.” Meaning "a game" or "a play". It reached English by 1800s-1900s as spiel. German 'play, game'; carnival barkers gave a 'spiel' to draw in crowds. Today, spiel means a lengthy or glib speech, especially one used to persuade.

1. Stage 1 · German/Yiddish · medieval Spiel "a game, a play", meaning "a game" or "a play".
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s-1900s spiel "a lengthy, persuasive speech", German 'play, game'; carnival barkers gave a 'spiel' to draw in crowds.