2027: Holy Ghost, or Holy Breath Jul 3, 2020

The word 'ghost' today mostly denotes a supernatural entity, but in its oldest forms it just related to breath; in Old English 'gast' meant 'breath'. Indeed, the Latinate form of that, 'spirit', comes from 'spiritus' which also meant 'breath'. This is why the Hebrew רוח הקודש (ruach hakodesh) and later the Greek πνεῦμα (pneuma, related to 'pneumonia') most literally translates as as 'holy breath', but is usually translated as 'holy spirit' or 'holy ghost'. Moreover, while the connotations to supernatural beings is an old association it is not the only one, since even in English 'spirit' can just relate to vigor, and in German 'Geist' means 'mind' as well as the supernatural 'spirit'.

Check out the new video.

Get Word Facts Merch.

Support on Patreon.com/wordfacts