Where does “ghoul” come from?
Ghoul comes from Persian غول, from Arabic غُول, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European g⁽ʷ⁾ʰew-, a root meaning to yawn or gape.
ghoul (English): A demon said to feed on corpses; A graverobber; A...
Definitions
- A demon said to feed on corpses; A graverobber; A...
Ancestry of “ghoul”, step by step
ghoul traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French goule
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | goule | ghoul; Nonstandard form of gueule |
| 2 | French | gueule | snout, face; mug; mouth |
| 3 | Old French | goule | mouth |
| 4 | Latin | gula | gullet, throat, palate; gluttony, greediness;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷel- | throat; to swallow; throat; to dribble; gush... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kel- | to hit; beat; to pierce, to stab; goblet |
via Persian غول
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Persian | غول | ghoul; giant; monster |