Where does “полтергейст” come from?
полтергейст (Russian) comes from German Poltergeist, from German geist, from Middle High German geist, from Old High German geist, from Proto-West Germanic gaist, from Proto-Germanic gaistaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd- — anger, agitation.
полтергейст (Russian): poltergeist
Ancestry of “полтергейст”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Poltergeist | poltergeist |
| 2 | German | geist | — |
| 3 | Middle High German | geist | — |
| 4 | Old High German | geist | spirit |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | gaist | ghost, spirit |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | gaistaz | terror, fear; spirit, ghost; mind |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰeysd- | anger, agitation |