Wraith Appeared Suddenly in Scotland in 1513
A wraith is a ghost, especially one seen as an omen of death. The word appears first in a Scottish text and its origin is unknown.
A wraith is a ghost, traditionally the apparition of someone who is about to die or has just died. The word turns up abruptly in Gavin Douglas's Scottish translation of the Aeneid in 1513, with no clear ancestry. Suggestions include a link to *wrath* or to Old Norse, but etymologists mark it unknown. Its Scottish origin is one of the few certain things about it.
- A ghost. *A pale wraith.*
- An omen of death. *He saw his own wraith.*
- Something insubstantial. *A wraith of smoke.*
- Wraithlike — thin and pale. *A wraithlike figure.*
- Doppelgänger — a German parallel. *A doppelgänger legend.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | wraith | A silent wraith. |
| Plural | wraiths | Wraiths of mist. |
| Adjective | wraithlike | Wraithlike thinness. |
| Related | spectre | A grey spectre. |
| Related | apparition | A sudden apparition. |
- A wraith was said to appear before a death.Folklore.
- Wraiths of steam rose from the grate.Figurative.
- She had grown wraithlike over the winter.Description.
English ghost words
- Ghost — Old English *gast*, also the root of *ghastly*
- Spectre — from Latin, something seen
- Phantom — from Greek, something shown
- Apparition — something that appears
- Wraith — Scottish, 1513, origin unknown
First recorded in 1513 in Gavin Douglas's Scots *Eneados*. Its origin is uncertain; connections with *wrath* and with Norse words have been suggested without agreement.
What is the difference between a wraith and a ghost?
A ghost is any spirit of the dead. A wraith traditionally appears at or just before the moment of death, often to warn.
Where does the word come from?
It first appears in a Scottish text of 1513. No convincing earlier source has been found.