Where does “ghostwriter” come from?

ghostwriter (Polish) comes from English ghostwriter, from English ghost, from Middle English gost, from Old English gāst, from Proto-West Germanic gaist, from Proto-Germanic gaistaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd- — anger, agitation.

ghostwriter (Polish): ghostwriter

Definitions

  1. ghostwriter

Ancestry of “ghostwriter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishghostwriterA professional writer who is paid to write...
2EnglishghostThe spirit; the soul of man; The disembodied...
3Middle Englishgosta spiritual being; angel, devil, spirit; soul of...
4Old Englishgāstbreath, soul, spirit, ghost, being
5Proto-West Germanicgaistghost, spirit
6Proto-Germanicgaistazterror, fear; spirit, ghost; mind
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰeysd-anger, agitation
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd-Every word from Proto-Germanic gaistazEvery word from Proto-West Germanic gaist