Wraith
/reɪθ/noun
A ghostly apparition or specter.
Did you know?The word comes from Scots and northern English, where it originally meant a ghostly apparition or even a vision seen in a dream, giving it a long history tied to the thin line between sight and spirit.
Etymological Timeline
Old English / Old Norse influence
Germanic
wraith
“A form, image, or apparition; a ghostly figure”
Middle English
English
wraith
“A spirit, ghost, or specter”
15th–16th Century
Scots
wraith
“A ghostly apparition, especially one seen as an omen or vision”
Modern English
English
wraith
“A ghostly apparition or shadowy figure”