Where does “Geisterspiel” come from?

Geisterspiel (German) comes 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.

Geisterspiel (German): game without any spectators typically deliberately excluded as a consequence of prior violence or other violations

Definitions

  1. game without any spectators typically deliberately excluded as a consequence of prior violence or other violations

Ancestry of “Geisterspiel”, step by step

Geisterspiel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German geist

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germangeistspirit
2Middle High Germangeist
3Old High Germangeistspirit
4Proto-West Germanicgaistghost, spirit
5Proto-Germanicgaistazterror, fear; spirit, ghost; mind
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰeysd-anger, agitation

via German spiel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanspiela game instance or way of playing
2Middle High Germanspil
3Old High Germanspil
4Proto-West Germanicspildance; game, exercise
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd-Every word from Proto-Germanic gaistazEvery word from Proto-West Germanic gaist