Etymology Map
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Ghost

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means the spirit of a dead person believed to appear to the living

Where does the word "ghost" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic gaistaz, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
gaistaz
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"spirit"
related to a root meaning excitement or fury
2
Stage 2 of 3
gāst
Old English · 700s-1000s
"spirit, soul"
meant the soul or spirit; 'Holy Ghost' keeps that sense
3
Stage 3 of 3
ghost
English · 1500s
"ghost"
the 'h' was added in the late 1400s by William Caxton's printers, perhaps influenced by Flemish 'gheest'
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Ghost’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: gaistaz meant “spirit.” Related to a root meaning excitement or fury. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as gāst. Meant the soul or spirit; 'Holy Ghost' keeps that sense. It reached English by 1500s as ghost. The 'h' was added in the late 1400s by William Caxton's printers, perhaps influenced by Flemish 'gheest'. Today, ghost means the spirit of a dead person believed to appear to the living.