diabolus (Latin)
Where does "diabolus" come from?
The Latin noun 'diabolus', meaning 'devil', was borrowed from the Ancient Greek word 'διάβολος' meaning 'slanderer'[1]. This Greek term is formed from 'διαβάλλω' meaning 'to slander', which combines 'δια-' meaning 'across' or 'through' with 'βάλλω' meaning 'to throw'[2][4]. The root verb 'βάλλω' ultimately traces back through Proto-Hellenic to the Proto-Indo-European root '*gʷelH-', meaning 'to hit by throwing'[3].
Open questions
- Scholars debate the morphological origin of the nasal progressive aspect marker in the Proto-Hellenic development of the root. [3]
Full etymology tree
- diabolus (Latin), 'devil'
- borrowed διάβολος (diábolos) (Ancient Greek), 'slanderous; libellous'
- derived διαβάλλω (diabállō) (Ancient Greek), 'to throw over or across'
- compound δια- (dia-) (Ancient Greek), 'in different directions'
- compound βάλλω (bállō) (Ancient Greek), 'to throw, cast, hurl'
- inherited *gʷəlnō (Proto-Hellenic)
- inherited *gʷl̥-ne-h₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *gʷelH- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing'
- inherited *gʷl̥-ne-h₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *gʷəlnō (Proto-Hellenic)
- derived διαβάλλω (diabállō) (Ancient Greek), 'to throw over or across'
- borrowed διάβολος (diábolos) (Ancient Greek), 'slanderous; libellous'
Ancestors
- *gʷelH- (Proto-Indo-European)
- διάβολος (Ancient Greek)
Descendants and derived words
- djall (Albanian)
- diabolus (English)
- diabolo (Hawaiian)
- diabolicus (Latin)
- ѓавол (Macedonian)
- devoly (Malagasy)
- diábel (Old Czech)
- díabul (Old Irish)
- díabul (Old Irish)
- djǫfull (Old Norse)
- diabol (Slovak)
Sources
- diabolus (Latin) - Wiktionary
- διάβολος (diábolos) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- βάλλω (bállō) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- διαβάλλω (diabállō) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris