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psy·cho·pomp

(sīkō-pŏmp′)

In various systems of religious belief, a being, such as a god or a person acting as a shaman, who guides the spirits of the dead to the afterlife or the otherworld.

[Greek psūkhopompos : psūkhē, soul; see bhes- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + pompos, guide (from pempein, to send, escort).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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