English word ghast comes from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeysd-, English ghast, Proto-Germanic *gaistijaną, and later Proto-Germanic *gaistaz (Mind. Spirit, ghost. Terror, fear.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *ǵʰeysd- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| ghast | English (en) | |
| *gaistijaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *gaistaz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Mind. Spirit, ghost. Terror, fear. |
| gǣstan | Old English (ang) | |
| gæstan | Old English (ang) | To frighten; gast. To torment; afflict. |
| gāst | Old English (ang) | |
| gast | Old English (ang) | A soul, spirit, breath. |
| gāstan | Old English (ang) | |
| gasten | Middle English (enm) | |
| gost | Middle English (enm) | A breath, blowing, wind; God's breath, a spiritual wind; the blowing of storm. A spiritual force or insight, a gift of prophecy. A villain, scoundrel; a devil incarnate; a wicked-looking creature. The soul of man, spiritual nature. A spiritual being; angel, devil, spirit; soul of a dead person. The Holy Ghost. |
| ghastly | English (en) | Extremely bad.. Horrifyingly shocking.. Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid; dismal. In a ghastly manner. |
| ghast | English (en) | Having a ghastly appearance; weird. (fantasy) An evil spirit or monster; a ghoul. |