Where does “spöktimme” come from?
spöktimme (Swedish) comes from Swedish timme, from Old Swedish tīme, from Old Norse tími, from Proto-Germanic tīmô, from Proto-Indo-European tī-, from Proto-Indo-European dī-, from Proto-Indo-European deh₂-i- — to divide, cut.
spöktimme (Swedish): The hour after midnight (12 a.m. to 1 a.m.), when ghosts are said to be active, witching hour
Definitions
- The hour after midnight (12 a.m. to 1 a.m.), when ghosts are said to be active, witching hour
Ancestry of “spöktimme”, step by step
spöktimme traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish timme
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | timme | an hour; an hour, a time of day; an hour, a... |
| 2 | Old Swedish | tīme | time |
| 3 | Old Norse | tími | time |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | tīmô | time |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | tī- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dī- | time |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂-i- | to divide, cut |
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 |