The word 'spiller' is a transparent agent noun formation from the verb 'spill.' The verb 'spill' itself has a complex history, originating from Old English spillan, which carried the stronger sense of "to destroy or kill," a meaning retained in related Germanic languages. Over time in English, its meaning softened and specialized to the act of causing a liquid or granular substance to flow out wastefully or accidentally. The addition of the agent suffix '-er,' a prolific and stable suffix from Old English, directly creates a noun for one who or that which performs this action. Thus, the literal "one who spills" logically applies to both a clumsy person and, in fishing, a tool designed to create a controlled 'spill' or splash to attract fish.

Structure: spill + er spill: From Old English spillan, meaning "to destroy, kill, waste." In this context, its functional role is the verb root meaning "to cause to flow or fall out." er: From Old English -ere, an agent noun suffix denoting "a person or thing that performs an action." Its functional role is to form a noun indicating an agent or instrument.