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Stage 1 of 3
poltern
German · medieval
"to make noise"
meaning "to make noise" or "rumble"
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Stage 2 of 3
Poltergeist
German · 1700s
"a noisy ghost"
combining "poltern" with "Geist" (ghost), a noisy spirit
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Stage 3 of 3
poltergeist
English · 1800s
"a ghost said to cause physical disturbances"
adopted directly from German
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