Spuk
/spuːk/noun
A ghost, haunting, or supernatural apparition, chiefly used as a German loanword in English.
Did you know?German Spuk is closely related to English spook, but its deeper origin is uncertain rather than demonstrably connected to Latin spiritus or Greek words for ghosts.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*spauką
“Reconstructed term associated with a ghost or apparition; the exact form and deeper origin are uncertain.”
Middle Low German
Middle Low German
spôk
“Ghost, specter, or haunting apparition.”
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch
spooc
“Ghost or supernatural apparition.”
16th Century
German
Spuk
“A haunting, ghostly manifestation, or supernatural disturbance.”
17th Century
English
spook
“A ghost or apparition; borrowed through Dutch or Germanic contact.”
Modern English
English
Spuk
“A rare loanword meaning a ghost, haunting, or eerie supernatural presence.”