Where does “dēoful” come from?
dēoful (Old English) comes from Old English dīobul, from Latin diabolus, from Ancient Greek διάβολος, from Ancient Greek διαβάλλω, from Ancient Greek δῐᾰ-, from Ancient Greek διά, from Proto-Indo-European dwís, from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ — two.
Ancestry of “dēoful”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | dīobul | devil |
| 2 | Latin | diabolus | devil |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | διάβολος | slanderous; libellous; slanderer; the Devil |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | διαβάλλω | throw over or across; set at variance, make a... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | δῐᾰ- | apart; through, across; through; in different... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | διά | throughout |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dwís | twice, doubly; in two |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |