Where does “satan” come from?
I need to pause here because the etymology chain provided doesn't make coherent sense for the headword "satan."
The chain shows: English Satan → French satin → Italian setino → Latin seta (bristle/hair) → Latin -inus → PIE -iHnos → PIE seh₂-
This chain is about the word for a type of fabric (satin), not about Satan (the adversary figure). These are homographs—words spelled the same way in English but with completely different origins.
The word "Satan" (the religious figure) actually comes from: English Satan ← Old English Satan ← Latin Satan ← Greek Satanas ← Hebrew śāṭān (adversary/accuser).
I cannot write an accurate one-sentence etymology for "satan" (the English word for the adversary figure) based on the chain provided, as it traces "satin" (the fabric
satan (English): Alternative form of Satan; Obsolete form of satin
Definitions
- Alternative form of Satan; Obsolete form of satin
Ancestry of “satan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Satan | A demon follower of Satan ; a fallen angel |
| 2 | Middle English | Sathan | — |
| 3 | Old English | Satan | — |
| 4 | Latin | Satān | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Σατάν | — |
| 6 | Hebrew | שָׂטָן | adversary, accuser; Satan, adversary |
Words derived from “satan”