Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Spuk” come from?

Spuk (German) comes from Middle Low German spōk, from Middle English spok, from Dutch spook, from Middle Dutch spooc, from Middle Dutch spoke, from Proto-Germanic spōk — spook, ghost, apparition; witchcraft, wizardry.

Spuk (German): apparition; manifestation, haunting

Definitions

  1. apparition; manifestation, haunting

Ancestry of “Spuk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germanspōk—
2Middle EnglishspokAlternative form of spoke
3Dutchspookphantom, ghost; horror, terror; an annoying and...
4Middle Dutchspoocapparition, ghost; spook, ghost
5Middle Dutchspoke—
6Proto-Germanicspōkspook, ghost, apparition; witchcraft, wizardry

Words derived from “Spuk”

  • spukhaft
Every word from Proto-Germanic spōk →