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Where did the word "Vampire" come from?

The exact origin of Vampire is disputed. Most sources, including the Oxford English Dictionary, derive it from the Hungarian vampir. The word has cognates in several Slavic tongues and may originally derive from the northern Turkish ubyr or uber, meaning witch.

Merriam-Webster, on the other hand, contends that vampir is originally Serbian and that the Hungarian word traces a path from Serbia, through Germany, to Hungary. The word entered English through German as well.

English usage dates to at least 1734. Bram Stoker wrote the novel Dracula in 1897.



Source: WordOrigins.com