devil

devil · proper noun, noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
2. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
3. Proto-Indo-European*dwís
4. Ancient Greekδιά (diá)
5. Ancient Greekδια- (dia-)
6. Proto-Indo-European*gʷelH-
7. Proto-Hellenic*gʷəlnō
8. Ancient Greekβάλλω (bállō)
9. Ancient Greekδιαβάλλω (diabállō)
10. Ancient Greekδιάβολος (diábolos)
11. Latindiabolus
12. Proto-West Germanic*diubul
13. Old Englishdēofol
14. Middle Englishdevel
15. English todaydevil

From Middle English devil, devel, deovel, from Old English dēofol, from Proto-West Germanic *diubul, from Latin diabolus, ultimately from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos, “false accuser, slanderer”), also as "Satan" (in Jewish/Christian usage, translating Biblical Hebrew שָׂטָן (śātān)), from διαβάλλω (diabállō, “to slander”), literally “to throw across”, from διά (diá, “through, across”) + βάλλω (bállō, “throw”). The Old English word was probably adopted under influence of Latin diabolus (itself from the Greek). Other Germanic languages adopted the word independently: compare Saterland Frisian Düüwel (“devil”), West Frisian duvel (“devil”), Dutch duivel, duvel (“devil”), German Low German Düvel (“devil”), German Teufel (“devil”), Bavarian Teifl (“devil”), Danish djævel (“devil”), Swedish djävul (“devil”) (older: djefvul, Old Swedish diævul, Old Norse djǫfull). Doublet of diable, diablo, and diabolus.

Devil · proper noun²

See devil.

Words from the same roots