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Ghoul

2 stages from Arabic to English.

Today it means a monster or spirit, especially in fiction, that robs graves and feeds on corpses; also a person morbidly interested in death

Where does the word "ghoul" come from? It comes from Arabic ghul, adopted directly into English (1786).

1
Stage 1 of 2
ghul
Arabic · medieval
"grave-robbing demon"
from ghala, "he seized"; an evil spirit believed to rob graves and devour corpses
2
Stage 2 of 2
ghoul
English · 1786
"monster that feeds on the dead"
entered English through William Beckford's Gothic novel "Vathek"
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