Question 1

What does "Ghost" mean in the King James Bible?

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Ghost" means "spirit." The unity of divine Spirit and human spirit in one word. 'Holy Ghost' and 'gave up the ghost' used the same word because the breath of God and the breath of life were the same gast. When Jesus 'yielded up the ghost,' He released His spirit/breath -- the same kind of breath God breathed into Adam. The Holy Ghost was not a spooky specter but the living breath of God. Ghost stories killed this connection.

Question 2

Why did the word "Ghost" disappear from modern English?

Accepted Answer

Ghost (Old English gast 'spirit/breath/soul') was colonized by horror and superstition -- Halloween ghosts, ghost stories, hauntings -- until the theological meaning of 'spirit/breath of life' became inaudible beneath rattling chains. The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by ~1900.

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Ghost"?

Accepted Answer

"Ghost" was replaced by: "spirit" (though this latin import that displaced the native english word; spirit is more abstract, lacking the breath/life-force immediacy of ghost); "Holy Spirit" (though this correct but severs the connection to 'gave up the ghost' (died) -- the same word for god's spirit and human life-breath).

What Does “Ghost” Mean in the Bible?

What Was Lost