Etymology Dictionary

TACKLE,  equipment, implements, gear, tools.  (Scand.)   M. E. takel, Chaucer, C. T. 106; Gen. and Exodus, ed. Morris, 883; takil, the tackle of a ship, Gower, C. A. iii. 291.—Swed. and O. Swed. tackel, tackle of a ship (Ihre), whence tackla, to rig; Dan. takkel, tackle, whence takle, to rig.   Cf. Du. takel, a pulley, tackle, whence takelen, to rig.   β. The suffix -el (for -la = Aryan -ra) is used to form substances from verbs, as in E. sett-le, sb., a thing to sit on, from sit, stopp-le from stop, shov-el from shove, shutt-le from shoot, gird-le from gird, and denotes the implement.   Tack-le is that which takes or grasps, holding the masts, &c. firmly in their places; from Icel. taka, O. Swed. taka (mod. Swed. taga), to take, seize, grasp, hold, which had a much stronger sense than the mod. E. take; cf. Icel. tak, a grasp in wrestling, taka, a seizing, capture; and observe the wide application of tackle in the sense of implements or gear.   γ. Often derived from W. tacl, an instrument, tool, tackle; but the W. word may have been borrowed from E., or they may be cognate.   The E. take (of Scand. origin) may be related to E. tack (of Celtic origin), because an initial s appears to have been lost; see Tack, Take.   Der. tackl-ing, Rich. III, iv. 4. 233.