Where does “spellcasting” come from?

spellcasting (English) comes from English spell, from Old French espeler, from Old French espelir, from Frankish spelôn, from Proto-Germanic spellōną, from Proto-Germanic spellą, from Proto-Indo-European (s)pel- — to split in two, split in half; to speak with a...

spellcasting (English): The casting of magical spells

Definitions

  1. The casting of magical spells

Ancestry of “spellcasting”, step by step

spellcasting traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English spell

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishspellWords or a formula supposed to have magical...
2Old Frenchespelerto call; to cry out; to shout; to explain; to...
3Old Frenchespelir
4Frankishspelôn
5Proto-Germanicspellōnąto talk, tell, recount
6Proto-Germanicspelląnews, message; tale, story
7Proto-Indo-European(s)pel-to split in two, split in half; to speak with a...

via English ing

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishingA meadow, especially a low meadow near a river;...
2Middle Englishing
3Old Englishingmeadow, water meadow, ing
4Old Norseengmeadow
5Proto-GermanicangijōA low lying meadow in a valley or near a river
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂énkoscurve, bend
7Proto-Indo-European-osCreates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

via English casting

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishcastingpresent participle of cast; The act or process of...
2EnglishcastTo throw; To throw forward into the sea; To...
3Middle Englishcastento throw, cast
4Old Norsekastato cast, to throw
5Proto-Germanickastōnąto throw
6Proto-Germanickas-to throw; bring up; toss
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)pel-