10th cent. From Late Latin diabolus 'id.,' from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos) "slanderer," but also "devil," composed of διά (diá) "across" and βάλλειν (bállein) "to throw."
Greek διά is from Proto-Indo-European *dis "apart" (see des-); βάλλειν is from Proto-Indo-European *gwelh1- "to hit by throwing."
Romance
Asturian diablu, Portuguese diabo, Galician diablo, Catalan diable, French diable, Italian diavolo, Romanian diavol, Sardinian diàbulu
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