Etymology

Apocalypse (n.) late 14c., “revelation, disclosure,” from Church Latin apocalypsis  “revelation,” from Greek apokalyptein “uncover, disclose, reveal,” from apo- “from” + kalyptein “to cover, conceal.” The Christian end-of-the-world story is part of the revelation in John of Patmos’ book “Apokalypsis” (a title rendered into English as “Apocalypse” c. 1230 and “Revelations” by Wyclif c. 1380). Its general sense in Middle English was “insight, vision; hallucination;” meaning “a cataclysmic event” is modern. 

 

Collapse (v.) 1732, from Latin collapsus, past participle of collabi “fall together,” from assimilated form of com “with, together” + labi “to fall, slip.” 

 

Horde (n.) 1550s, “tribe of Asiatic nomads living in tents,” from West Turkic (compare Tatar urda “horde,” Turkish ordu“camp, army”), borrowed into English via Polish, French, or Spanish. OED says the initial -h- seems to have been acquired in Polish. Transferred sense of “any uncivilized gang” is from 1610s.

 

Zombie (n.) 1871, of West African origin (compare Kikongo zumbi “fetish;” Kimbundu nzambi “god”), originally the name of a snake god, later with meaning “reanimated corpse” in voodoo cult. But perhaps also from Louisiana creole word meaning “phantom, ghost,” from Spanish sombra “shade, ghost.” Sense “slow-witted person” is recorded from 1936.

 

 

From Online Etymology Dictionary

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