pishachin.
/pᵻˈʃɑːtʃi/, U.S. /pəˈʃɑtʃi/ Now rare.
In South Asia: a female demon or devil; (hence) a spring whirlwind. Cf. devil n. 12.In quot. 1807 misunderstood as masculine and used as an unchanged plural.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > supernatural being > evil spirit or demon > [noun]
evil angel, spiritc950
ghosteOE
uncleanOE
demonOE
devilOE
devilshineOE
groa1225
debleriea1325
devilnessa1400
devilryc1400
sprat?a1475
nicker1481
fiend of hell1509
imp1526
virtue1584
elf1587
succubus1601
blue devilc1616
black man1656
woolsaw1757
buggane1775
bhut1785
demonic1785
pishachi1807
devil-devil1831
skookum1838
taipo1848
lightning bird1870
demonry1883
pisaca1885
mafufunyanas1963
mare1981
the world > the supernatural > supernatural being > evil spirit or demon > [adjective]
foulOE
demoniatc1440
demonicalc1475
demoniaclec1500
demoniacal1565
demoniac1603
demonic1642
demonial1658
demonian1671
pishachi1837
demoniatic1855
demonish1863
1807 F. Buchanan Journey from Madras III. xiv. 17 They believe, that such men as die accidental deaths become Pysáchi, or evil spirits, and are exceedingly troublesome, by making extraordinary noises in families, and occasioning fits, and other diseases, especially in women.
1827 J. C. Hare & A. W. Hare Guesses at Truth I. 12 As a little girl was playing round me one day with her white frock over her head, I laughingly called her Pishashee, the Indian name, I believe, for their white devil.
1837 J. C. Maitland Lett. from Madras (1843) 107 She used to go out and howl so that the servants were afraid to come near her, saying she made ‘one pishashi (devil) noise’.
1920 Encycl. Relig. & Ethics X. 43/2 In S. India the small circular storms, called ‘devils’ by Europeans, are called piśāchīs, or ‘she-ghouls’.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1807