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Where does the expression "to sell your soul to the devil" originate

English Language & Usage Asked on February 11, 2021

I understand this is an idiomatic English expression. The expression suggests some sort of pact is made by humans in order to receive diabolical favours.

There is a song entitled "The Devil came down to Georgia" and describes a fictional event involving a competition where the forfeit is the man will lose his soul to the devil if the devil outplays him. It’s a fun piece of music but totally fictional.

[Devil came down Georgia – Google]

I know the expression is not found in the Bible, so where does it come from?

One Answer

While Wikipedia has an interesting article about the corresponding 'cultural motif in European folklore', the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) lists the following as the first two recorded occurrences of the phrase in the English language:

c1570  Buggbears v. ii, in R. W. Bond Early Plays from Italian (1911) 138 Tra.
Loue youe money so well? Ame. What a question ys that? do not very manye sell their soules & all for monye?

1677   A. Horneck Great Law of Consideration iv. 125
They sell their Souls to the Devil, for 2, 3, or 400 l.

We see that the earlier occurrence is in a translation of an Italian play.

For completeness, the definition given in the OED (under the verb sell) is

to sell his soul, himself, etc., to the devil: to make a contract with the devil ensuring him possession of one's soul after death, as the price of his help in attaining some desired end. Also transferred of one who sacrifices conscience for worldly advantage.

Answered by linguisticturn on February 11, 2021

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