Engel

Engel is a German noun meaning "angel," the celestial being in religious and cultural contexts. The word also functions as a proper noun in German, where it is used as a surname and as part of place names. Its etymology traces to the Latin angelus, through the Greek angelos, reflecting the common linguistic ancestry of the word in many European languages.

As a surname, Engel is widespread in German-speaking regions and elsewhere, carried by people in various fields such as science, arts, and public life. The name is also a toponymic element in several places in German-speaking Europe, appearing in town names and geographic features.

Engel's law is a well-known concept in economics and statistics. Named after the 19th-century German statistician Ernst Engel, the law observes that the proportion of household income spent on food tends to decline as income rises. It is used to analyze consumer behavior, poverty, and living standards, particularly in developing economies.

In culture, the term appears in literature, music, and religious imagery, reflecting its symbolic association with benevolence and spiritual beings. Because Engel has multiple distinct meanings—linguistic, onomastic, geographic, and technical—the intended reference depends on context.

Overall, Engel functions as both a common noun in German and a versatile proper noun, with significance in language, nomenclature, economics, and culture.