Devil
/ˈdɛv.əl/noun
A supernatural being typically associated with evil and opposition to God.
Did you know?The term 'Devil' comes from ancient roots that imply a being who accuses, slanders, or obstructs, linking it to the concept of divine adversaries.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰew-
“to put, to place, to set in order.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
διάβολος (diábolos)
“slanderer, accuser.”
Latin
Latin
diabolus
“the slanderer, the accuser, a term for Satan.”
Old French
Old French
deable
“the devil, a being of evil.”
Middle English
Middle English
devel
“the evil spirit or adversary.”
Modern English
English
devil
“a being often depicted as the embodiment of evil.”