An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/mäkeln

by Friedrich Kluge

mäkeln, makeln, verb, ‘to transact business as a broker,’ Modern High German only; from the equivalent Low German mäkeln, Dutch makelen, which are allied to maken, ‘to make’ (handeln also combines the meanings ‘to make’ and ‘to traffic’). French maquereau (whence English mackerel), ‘pimp,’ is said to be derived from these cognates on account of Old High German huormahhâri, ‘pimp.’