English
devil
Devil comes from Old English dēofol ‘a demon, devil’, from Ancient Greek διάβολος ‘false accuser, slanderer’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλω‘to throw’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδιαβάλλωdiabállō‘to throw over or across’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδιάβολοςdiábolos‘false accuser, slanderer’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiabolus
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*diubulreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150dēofol‘a demon, devil’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500devil
- Englishearliest quotation 1815same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλω‘to throw’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδιαβάλλωdiabállō‘to throw over or across’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδιάβολοςdiábolos‘false accuser, slanderer’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiabolus
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*diubulreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150dēofol‘a demon, devil’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500devil
- Englishearliest quotation 1815same form
Earliest quotation: 1815, Walter Scott, Guy Mannering; or: “Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters,…”
The story
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).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’
ball, quell, quail, quill, obelisk, pul, 64 more
through Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō
symbolic, ballistic, symbolist, ballista, 35 more
through Ancient Greek βάλλω ‘to throw’
problem, symbol, metabolic, emblem, hyperbolic, parable, parabolic, embolism, anabolic, metabolize, hyperbola, 34 more
through Ancient Greek διάβολος ‘false accuser, slanderer’
through Latin diabolus
Today it means
name The chief devil; Satan.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- / devil