Where does “devil-ridden” come from?
devil-ridden (English) comes from English Devil, from Middle English devel, from Old English dēofol, from Proto-West Germanic diubul, from Latin diabolus, from Ancient Greek διάβολος, from Ancient Greek διαβάλλω, from Ancient Greek δῐᾰ- — two.
devil-ridden (English): Plagued or dominated by the devil or devils;...
Definitions
- Plagued or dominated by the devil or devils;...
Ancestry of “devil-ridden”, step by step
devil-ridden traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Devil
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Devil | The chief devil; Satan |
| 2 | Middle English | devel | Satan, Lucifer; A devil; an evil creature that... |
| 3 | Old English | dēofol | demon |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | diubul | devil |
| 5 | Latin | diabolus | devil |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | διάβολος | slanderous; libellous; slanderer; the Devil |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | διαβάλλω | throw over or across; set at variance, make a... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | δῐᾰ- | apart; through, across; through; in different... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | διά | throughout |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dwís | twice, doubly; in two |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |
via English ridden
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ridden | past participle of ride; Full of; Oppressed,... |
| 2 | English | ride | To transport oneself by sitting on and directing... |
| 3 | Middle English | riden | To ride on a mount; to move on an animal; To use... |
| 4 | Old English | rīdan | to ride |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | rīdan | to ride |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | rīdaną | to ride |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | rēydʰ- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |