golem (English)

Where does "golem" come from?

The word 'golem' originates from the Hebrew 'gólem,' which originally described an amorphous, inchoate mass or an unformed substance. Over time, the term evolved to represent a humanoid creature fashioned from clay or other inanimate materials and brought to life through mystical means.

Full etymology tree

• golem (English), 'A humanoid creature made from clay, animated by magic.'
  • borrowed גולם (gólem) (Hebrew), 'an inchoate object, an amorphous mass'

Direct ancestors

• גולם (Hebrew)

Updated June 2026

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