Queries.
ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD "DEVIL."
What is the etymology of the word devil? This may appear an unnecessary question, since we have a regular chain of etyma, διάβολος, diabolus, diavolo, devil. But it is the first of this chain that puzzles me. I am aware that it is considered a translation of
שָׂטָן
, and is derived usually from διαβάλλειν, calumniare. But
שָׂטָן
means adversarius, consequently the rendering would not be accurate. As the word in classical writers always means a false accuser, and never a supernatural agent of evil, I doubt the correctness of the usual derivations in the case of ecclesiastical usage; and am inclined to consider it one of the oriental words, in a Hellenistic dress, with which the Septuagint and Greek Testament are replete. Mr. Borrow, in Lavengro, instances as a reason for believing that divine and devilish were originally the same words, the similarity of the gypsy word Un-debel, God, and our word devil. Struck with this remark, on consideration of the subject, I perceived that there were several other coincidences of the same kind, as follows:—The Greek δαίμων means either a good or bad spirit of superhuman power. The Zend word afrîtî, "blessed," corresponds to the Arabic afrît, "a rebellious angel." The Latin divus, "a god," (and of course Διος, with all its variations,) belongs to the same family as the Persian dîv, "a wizard or demon;" while the jin or jan of the Arabian Nights answer to the forms Zan, Zêna, Zeus, Janus, Djana or Diana. All words denoting deified power, and employed by the inhabitants of Greece and Umbria.
These singular resemblances may prove that fetish worship was more widely spread than is generally believed, and I think justify my doubts as to the etymology of the word in question.
Richard F. Littledale.