Where does “Spielfilm” come from?

Spielfilm (German) comes from German film, from English Film, from Russian фильм, from English film, from Middle English filme, from Old English filmen, from Proto-West Germanic *filmīn-, from Proto-Germanic *filmīn-.

Spielfilm (German): film, movie

Definitions

  1. film, movie

Ancestry of “Spielfilm”, step by step

Spielfilm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German film

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanfilmfilm a thin layer of some substance
2EnglishFilmA thin layer of some substance; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity
3Russianфильмfilm, movie
4EnglishfilmA thin layer of some substance; a pellicle; a...
5Middle Englishfilmefilm, membrane
6Old Englishfilmenmembrane; caul; foreskin
7Proto-West Germanic*filmīn-
8Proto-Germanic*filmīn-

via German spiel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanspiela game instance or way of playing
2Middle High Germanspil
3Old High Germanspil
4Proto-West Germanicspildance; game, exercise
Every word from Proto-Germanic *filmīn-