Revision History

loadingDate    Editor    Name ID    Change Summary
12/1/2024, 10:33 PM Mike C mephistopheles update #117
10/6/2024, 9:08 PM Mike C mephistopheles update #116
4/23/2024, 9:35 PM Mike C mephistopheles update #115
6/9/2023, 2:32 PM Mike C mephistopheles added (from user-submitted name 25573)
1/26/2012, 7:18 PM SeaHorse15 25573
12/14/2008, 7:06 AM nikola_scratch

Gender Masculine
Pronounced Pron. /ˌmɛ.fɪ.ˈstɑf.ɪ.liz/(American English) /ˌmɛ.fɪ.ˈstɒf.ɪ.liːz/(British English)

Meaning & History

Meaning uncertain. It might be based on Hebrew מֵפִיץ (mefits) "scatterer, disperser" and טָפַל (ṭafal) "liar", or on Greek μή (me) "not", φῶς (phos) "light" and φίλος (philos) "friend, lover". Many other etymologies have been proposed. In a German legend, notably retold by Goethe, this is the name of a demon who makes a deal with Faust to exchange his soul for magical powers.