devil (English)

Where does "devil" come from?

The English word 'devil' traces its origins back to the Ancient Greek word 'διάβολος', meaning 'false accuser' or 'slanderer'[1][2]. This term derived from 'διαβάλλω', meaning 'to slander' or literally 'to throw across', which combined 'διά' ('through, across') and 'βάλλω' ('to throw')[1][3]. The Greek term was borrowed into Latin as 'diabolus'[1], which then entered Proto-West Germanic as '*diubul'[1][5]. This passed into Old English as 'dēofol'[1][4], evolving through Middle English 'devel' to become the modern English 'devil'[1].

Full etymology tree

• devil (English), 'The chief devil; Satan.'
  • inherited devil (Middle English), 'alternative form of devel'
    • inherited deofol (Old English), 'the Devil, Satan'
      • inherited *diubul (Proto-West Germanic), 'devil'
        • borrowed diabolus (Latin), 'devil'
          • borrowed διάβολος (diábolos) (Ancient Greek), 'slanderous; libellous'
            • derived διαβάλλω (diabállō) (Ancient Greek), 'to throw over or across'
              • compound διά (diá) (Ancient Greek), '[with genitive]'
                • inherited *δισά (disá) (Ancient Greek)
                  • inherited *dwís (Proto-Indo-European), 'twice, doubly'
              • compound βάλλω (bállō) (Ancient Greek), 'to throw, cast, hurl'
                • inherited *gʷəlnō (Proto-Hellenic)
                  • inherited *gʷl̥-ne-h₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
      • influenced by diabolus (Latin), 'devil'
        • borrowed διάβολος (diábolos) (Ancient Greek), 'slanderous; libellous'
          • derived διαβάλλω (diabállō) (Ancient Greek), 'to throw over or across'
            • compound διά (diá) (Ancient Greek), '[with genitive]'
              • inherited *δισά (disá) (Ancient Greek)
                • inherited *dwís (Proto-Indo-European), 'twice, doubly'
            • compound βάλλω (bállō) (Ancient Greek), 'to throw, cast, hurl'
              • inherited *gʷəlnō (Proto-Hellenic)
                • inherited *gʷl̥-ne-h₁- (Proto-Indo-European)

Ancestors

• *gʷelH- (Proto-Indo-European)
• devil (Middle English)
• deofol (Old English)
• *diubul (Proto-West Germanic)
• diabolus (Latin)
• διάβολος (Ancient Greek)

Cognates and doublets

• Teifl (Bavarian)
• djævel (Danish)
• duivel (Dutch)
• diable (English)
• diablo (English)
• diabolus (English)
• Teufel (German)
• Düvel (German Low German)
• djǫfull (Old Norse)
• diævul (Old Swedish)
• Düüwel (Saterland Frisian)
• djävul (Swedish)

Related words

• lucifer (English)

Sources

1. devil (English) - Wiktionary
2. diabolus (Latin) - Wiktionary
3. διάβολος (diábolos) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
4. deofol (Old English) - Wiktionary
5. diubul (Proto-West Germanic) - Wiktionary
6. βάλλω (bállō) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
7. διαβάλλω (diabállō) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
8. διά (diá) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris