Where does “demon” come from?
Demon comes from Middle English demon, from Latin daemon, from Ancient Greek δαίμων, derived from the verb δαίομαι, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -mō.
demon (English): An evil supernatural spirit; A neutral...
Definitions
- An evil supernatural spirit; A neutral...
Ancestry of “demon”, step by step
demon traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English demon
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | demon | demon, devil, malicious spirit; daimon, helpful... |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | demon | accusative singular of dēmos; spirit |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | δαίμων | god, goddess; departed soul; demon, evil spirit |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | δαίω | to light up, to kindle, to set on fire; to burn... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂y- | to share, divide |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂- | to share, divide |
via Ancient Greek δῆμος
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | δῆμος | district, country, land; the common people; free... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | γράφω | to scratch, cut into; to draw, sketch, paint; to... |
| 3 | Proto-Hellenic | grəpʰō | to scratch, cut or carve into |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gerbʰ- | to carve |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |
via English [[distinct]] [[electron]] [[motion]]
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | [[distinct]] [[electron]] [[motion]] | — |