An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/fehlen

by Friedrich Kluge

fehlen, vb., ‘to miss, want, err,’ from MidHG. vêlen, vœlen, ‘to fail, mistake, cheat, be wanting, miss’; borrowed in the MidHG. period (about 1200 A.D.) from Fr. faillir, ‘to fail, miss, deceive,’ which again, like Ital. fallire, is derived from Lat. fallere. The word was also adopted by E. in the 13th cent.; comp. E. fail, likewise Du. feilen, ‘to fail, miss, deceive,’ Scand. (since the 14th cent.), feila.