Word journey
The word Satan
the adversary; the devil
The journey
| Form | Language | Date | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| śāṭān | Biblical Hebrew · Judaism | 550 BCE | adversary, accuser (Job, Zechariah) |
| Satán / Satanâs | Koine Greek (New Testament) · Christianity | 50 CE | Satan, used interchangeably with diabolos |
| Satan / Satanas | Late Latin · Christianity | 400 CE | Satan |
| Satan | Old English · Christianity | 900 CE | Satan, the devil |
| shayṭān | Arabic · Islam | 632 CE | devil, demon (Quran) |
What is certain and what is not
In the Hebrew Bible satan is first a role, "adversary" or "accuser", and only later a proper name. Arabic shaytan is a cognate or loan within Semitic, but the sources used do not settle its route, so it is left unlinked.