History Wraith: Etymology & Word History

[bomba923]

What is the etymology behind (word history of) the English word,

[size=+3]"Wraith"[/size]

??

 

[larkspur]

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=wraith"

 

[bomba923]

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=wraith"

... Scottish, of uncertain origin...

"Uncertain origin" is not a good answer
...but it will have to do*

(*But at least, now we know that "wraith" is Scottish ,
and either Klein or Weekley may be right )

*Until we have more information...

 

[Rach3]

edit: I replied to a post which afterwards was rewritten (poor etiquette! ).

 

[selfAdjoint]

Why not both? Since both Old Norse and Erse (Scots Gaelic) were spoken in Scotland, people could have heard both words used, in somewhat similar contexts, and "folk-conflated" them.

 

[bomba923]

~Good point