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From: fangs_echidna |
Date: November 4th, 2004 03:57 pm (UTC) |
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History of the word 'devil'
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According to The Oxford Essential Dictionary of Word Histories, the word devil comes from Old English deofol, related to Dutch duivel and German Teufel. Deofel came via late Latin from Greek diabolos, meaning 'accuser, slanderer', a word used in the Septuagint to translate Hebrew satan. The source is the Greek verb diaballein 'to slander', from dia 'across' and ballein 'to throw'.
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