From Middle High German leffel, from Old High German leffil, attested as earlier ᛚᚨᛈᛖᛚᚨ (lapela), from Proto-West Germanic *lapil, from Proto-Germanic *lapilaz (“spoon”), ultimately derived from *lap- (“to lick; to lap”). See English lap. Cognates include Dutch lepel, Yiddish לעפֿל (lefl).