1
Stage 1 of 3
nzambi
Kikongo · pre-1500s
"spirit of the dead"
referred to a spirit of the dead or a minor deity
2
Stage 2 of 3
zonbi
Haitian Creole · 1700s-1800s
"a reanimated corpse without free will"
took on the folklore meaning of a soulless reanimated corpse
3
Stage 3 of 3
zombie
English · 1930s
"a reanimated undead being"
popularized by American travel writing and horror films
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