Vampirism
/ˈvæm.paɪ.rɪ.zəm/noun
The practice, condition, or behavior of a vampire; by extension, exploitative draining of others.
Did you know?The word entered English through French and German during the 18th-century vampire panic, when reports of alleged undead corpses were treated as serious public threats across Eastern Europe.
Etymological Timeline
18th Century
French
vampirisme
“The condition or behavior of a vampire.”
18th Century
German
Vampir
“A vampire; an undead being said to drain the blood of the living.”
18th Century
Serbo-Croatian
vampir
“A vampire or revenant.”
Possibly 11th–13th Century
Slavic
*opyrь / *upirь
“A proto-Slavic term for a vampire-like revenant, though the exact source is debated.”
Modern English
English
vampirism
“The state, habits, or actions associated with vampires; figuratively, exploitative draining.”