Diablerie refers to black magic, sorcery, representations of evil, or a devilish quality in art or performance, originating from the Latin word for 'devil'.
Diablerie refers to black magic, sorcery, or representations of the demonic, often suggesting a devilish quality in art or performance. The word comes from the Late Latin 'diabolus' meaning 'devil'.
| Word | diablerie |
|---|---|
| Date | March 5, 2007 |
| Type | noun |
| Syllables | dee-AH-bluh-ree |
| Etymology | Feeling devilish? Then you might be guilty of at least a little diablerie. Like the related and perhaps more familiar "diabolical," the French "diablerie" originated with the Late Latin "diabolus," which means "devil." Fittingly, "diablerie" was first applied to things related to the devil or to demons, particularly sorcery that was thought to call upon their aid; the word is also applied to representations of the demonic. Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" and Sylvia Townsend Warner's Lolly Willowes contain examples of such representations in literature. Nowadays, the word often suggests a devilish quality or air in a musical performance or artistic work. *Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence. |
| Examples | "Gekic can be a dazzling pianist full of diablerie when he's in the mood...." (James Roos, The Miami Herald, March 24, 2002) |
| Definition | 1 : black magic : sorcery 2 a : a representation in words or pictures of black magic or of dealings with the devil b : demon lore 3 : mischievous conduct or manner |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
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