Where does “spökhus” come from?
spökhus (Swedish) comes from Swedish spöke, from Danish spøg, from Middle English spok, from Dutch spook, from Middle Dutch spooc, from Middle Dutch spoke, from Proto-Germanic spōk — spook, ghost, apparition; witchcraft, wizardry.
spökhus (Swedish): a haunted house, a ghost house (house that is (said to be) haunted)
Definitions
- a haunted house, a ghost house (house that is (said to be) haunted)
Ancestry of “spökhus”, step by step
spökhus traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish spöke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | spöke | a ghost (spirit appearing after death) |
| 2 | Danish | spøg | joke, jest; imperative of spøge |
| 3 | Middle English | spok | Alternative form of spoke |
| 4 | Dutch | spook | phantom, ghost; horror, terror; an annoying and... |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | spooc | apparition, ghost; spook, ghost |
| 6 | Middle Dutch | spoke | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | spōk | spook, ghost, apparition; witchcraft, wizardry |