Etymology

From Middle French gaspiller ‎(“to waste”) (c. 1549). Of uncertain origin. Perhaps a modification of Middle French gaspailler ‎(“to throw back/reject bullets of wheat”) from Old French gaspail, vaspale ‎(“bullet of wheat”) (compare Medieval Latin gaspalium; Old Northern French waspail ‎(“chaff”)), from Frankish *wispila ‎(“measure of grain”) from Proto-Germanic *wisp- ‎(“measure of grain”). Akin to Middle Dutch wispel, Middle Low German wispel, Norwegian visp, English wisp ‎(“handful or bundle of hay or grass”). More at wisp.

Alternate etymology connects Middle French gaspiller to Frankish *gaspillan, *gaspildjan ‎(“to waste”) from Proto-Germanic *gaspilþijaną ‎(“to destroy, waste”), from Proto-Indo-European *spel- ‎(“to break off, split”), making it cognate with Old High German gaspildan ‎(“to squander, waste”), Middle Dutch spillen ‎(“to waste”), Old English ġespillan ‎(“to spill, waste, spend”). Compare also Occitan guespillar, gispillar ‎(“to trouble, tease”) from the same Germanic source. More at spill.