Where does “Teufelsweib” come from?

Teufelsweib (German) comes from German Teufel, from Middle High German tiuvel, from Old High German tiufal, from Proto-West Germanic diubul, from Latin diabolus, from Ancient Greek διάβολος, from Ancient Greek διαβάλλω, from Ancient Greek δῐᾰ- — two.

Teufelsweib (German): she-devil

Definitions

  1. she-devil

Ancestry of “Teufelsweib”, step by step

Teufelsweib traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Teufel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanTeufelthe Devil, Satan; a devil, satan, i.e. a creature...
2Middle High Germantiuvel
3Old High Germantiufaldevil
4Proto-West Germanicdiubuldevil
5Latindiabolusdevil
6Ancient Greekδιάβολοςslanderous; libellous; slanderer; the Devil
7Ancient Greekδιαβάλλωthrow over or across; set at variance, make a...
8Ancient Greekδῐᾰ-apart; through, across; through; in different...
9Ancient Greekδιάthroughout
10Proto-Indo-Europeandwístwice, doubly; in two
11Proto-Indo-Europeandwóh₁two

via German weib

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanweibwoman, broad
2Middle High Germanwīpwoman
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁
Teufelsweib — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer