Where does “poltergeistism” come from?
poltergeistism (English) comes from English poltergeist, from German Poltergeist, from German geist, from Middle High German geist, from Old High German geist, from Proto-West Germanic gaist, from Proto-Germanic gaistaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd- — anger, agitation.
poltergeistism (English): The supposed manifestation of the presence of one...
Definitions
- The supposed manifestation of the presence of one...
Ancestry of “poltergeistism”, step by step
poltergeistism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English poltergeist
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | poltergeist | An unseen ghost which makes noises and causes... |
| 2 | German | Poltergeist | poltergeist |
| 3 | German | geist | spirit |
| 4 | Middle High German | geist | — |
| 5 | Old High German | geist | spirit |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | gaist | ghost, spirit |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | gaistaz | terror, fear; spirit, ghost; mind |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰeysd- | anger, agitation |
via English ism
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ism | An ideology, system of thought, or practice that... |
| 2 | English | -ism | Used to form nouns of action or process or result... |
| 3 | Latin | -ismus | -ism |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ισμός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -μός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -mós | Creates action/result nouns from verb stems |