Where does “he-devil” come from?
he-devil (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.
he-devil (English): A male devil (as opposed to a she-devil, female devil)
Definitions
- A male devil (as opposed to a she-devil, female devil)
Ancestry of “he-devil”, step by step
he-devil 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 |