Where does “exorcise” come from?
Exorcise comes from Old French exorciser, from Late Latin exorcizo, from Ancient Greek ἐξορκίζω, which combines ἐκ and ὅρκος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁eǵʰs.
exorcise (English): To drive out from a person, place or thing,...
Definitions
- To drive out from a person, place or thing,...
Ancestry of “exorcise”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | exorciser | — |
| 2 | Latin | exorcizō | to exorcise: to fend off a demon or a possession through the use of specific prayers |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἐξορκίζω | banish an evil spirit; bind by oath |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἐξ | Alternative form of ἐκ; out; from, out of |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Ὕπνος | Hypnos, the Greek mythological god of sleep |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | húpnos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | supnós | sleep; death |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | swóp-r̥ ~ swép-n̥s | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | swep- | to sleep |