Where does “diabolic” come from?
Diabolic comes from Middle English diabolik, from Middle French diabolique, from Late Latin diabolicus, from Ancient Greek διαβολικός, derived from διάβολος, from διαβάλλω meaning to slander or accuse.
diabolic (English): Showing wickedness typical of a devil; Extremely...
Definitions
- Showing wickedness typical of a devil; Extremely...
Ancestry of “diabolic”, step by step
diabolic traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English diabolik
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | diabolik | — |
| 2 | Middle French | diabolique | diabolic |
| 3 | Late Latin | diabolicus | diabolic; relating to the Devil |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | διαβολικός | devilish |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Διάβολος | slanderous; libellous |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | διαβάλλω | throw over or across; set at variance, make a... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | δῐᾰ- | apart; through, across; through; in different... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | διά | throughout |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dwís | twice, doubly; in two |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |
via French diabolique
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | diabolique | diabolic |
| 2 | Latin | diabolicus | diabolic; relating to the Devil |