Where does “Gespenst” come from?

Gespenst (German) comes from Middle High German gespenste, from Old High German gispensti, from Old High German spanan — to lure, to attract.

Gespenst (German): ghost, spectre

Definitions

  1. ghost, spectre

Ancestry of “Gespenst”, step by step

Gespenst traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle High German gespenste

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germangespenste—
2Old High Germangispenstitemptation, illusion
3Old High Germanspananto lure, to attract

via Middle High German gespenst

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germangespenst—
Every word from Old High German spanan →Every word from Old High German gispensti →Every word from Middle High German gespenste →