Where does “devil” come from?
devil (Middle English) comes from Old English dēofol, from Proto-West Germanic diubul, from Latin diabolus, from Ancient Greek διάβολος, from Ancient Greek διαβάλλω, from Ancient Greek δῐᾰ-, from Ancient Greek διά, from Proto-Indo-European dwís — two.
devil (Middle English): Alternative form of devel
Definitions
- Alternative form of devel
Ancestry of “devil”, step by step
devil traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English dēofol
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | dēofol | demon |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | diubul | devil |
| 3 | Latin | diabolus | devil |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | διάβολος | slanderous; libellous; slanderer; the Devil |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | διαβάλλω | throw over or across; set at variance, make a... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | δῐᾰ- | apart; through, across; through; in different... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | διά | throughout |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dwís | twice, doubly; in two |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |