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Article: Ghosts
- Article from:
- Macmillan Encyclopedia of Death and Dying
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Ghosts
Ghost lore has a long and colorful history. The word
ghost
has been in use since the late sixteenth century. It derives from a more ancient term,
gast,
in the language that evolved into modern German. For some time,
ghost
has usually signified the disembodied spirit of a deceased person. Earlier meanings still cling to this word, however.
Gast
originally referred to a terrifying rage. A person who experiences shock and terror can still be described as aghast (i.e., frightened by an angry ghost). Fear of angry ghosts is built into the word itself.
Etymology explains even more about the characteristics attributed to ghosts through the centuries. Ghost is created in part by way of ...