An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/gefallen

by Friedrich Kluge

gefallen, vb., ‘to suit, please,’ from MidHG. gevallen, OHG. gifallan, str. vb. ‘to happen, fall to one's lot, please,’ in MidHG. always with the complement ‘wohl’ (well) or ‘übel’ (ill); probably an expression derived from the OTeut. warlike custom of dividing booty (comp. Hund) by means of dice; es gefällt mir wohl, ‘I am well pleased with it,’ lit. das Los fällt gut für mich, ‘that was a lucky throw for me’ (a similar history is also connected with ModHG. schenken, which furnishes evidence respecting the Teut. drinking customs). Note too that in ModHG. terms relating to card-playing have been similarly used, Comp. Sau (lit. ‘ace (of cards)’ then generally ‘good fortune’) and Hund.