Where does “ghost” come from?

Ghost comes from Middle English gost, derived from Middle English gasten, which developed from Proto-Germanic gaistaz, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd-.

ghost (English): The spirit; the soul of man; The disembodied...

Definitions

  1. The spirit; the soul of man; The disembodied...

Ancestry of “ghost”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgosta spiritual being; angel, devil, spirit; soul of...
2Old Englishgāstbreath, soul, spirit, ghost, being
3Proto-West Germanicgaistghost, spirit
4Proto-Germanicgaistazterror, fear; spirit, ghost; mind
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰeysd-anger, agitation

Words derived from “ghost”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd- →