Mephistopheles
/ˌmɛfɪˈstɒfɪliːz/noun
A devilish spirit who appears as Faust’s tempter and companion in German literary and theatrical tradition.
Did you know?Unlike Satan, Mephistopheles is primarily a literary creation, first appearing in the 1587 Faust chapbook rather than in the Bible or medieval demonological canon.
Etymological Timeline
1587
Early New High German
Mephostophiles
“The name of the devilish spirit in the anonymous Faust chapbook Historia von D. Johann Fausten.”
1592
English
Mephostophiles
“An early English form appearing in translations and adaptations of the Faust legend.”
1593
English
Mephistophilis
“The demon’s name in Christopher Marlowe’s play Doctor Faustus.”
17th Century
German
Mephistopheles
“A standardized German literary form of the Faustian demon’s name.”
1808
German
Mephistopheles
“The tempter and intellectual adversary in Goethe’s Faust.”
Modern English
English
Mephistopheles
“A proper name for a devil or powerful tempter, also used figuratively for a cynical or demonic person.”