The word Vampire (Vampir, Vampyre) has oblique origins, but researchers and scholars for the most part agree that it can be traced to the Slavic Tongue. There have been continuos debates however, as to its etymological sources.
The word may have come from the Lithuanian wempti ("to drink"), or from the root pi ("to drink"), with the prefix va or av. Other suggested roots have included the Turkish uber ("witch"), and the Serbo-Croation pirati ("to blow"). Associated forms developed from the Serbo-Croation term, such as Vampir, Upyr in the Russian, Upior in the Polish, and Upir in the Byelorussian. Some scholars prefer the concept that upir is older than vampir, an eastern Slavic name that spread westward into the Balkans, where it was adopted by the southern Slavs and received vigorous circulation. The word vampire (or vampyre) arrived in the English language with two 1732 publications: the March translation of a report by the investigators looking into the case of Arnold Paole of Meduegna and the May release of the article "Poltitical Vampires."
Vampyre is a variant spelling of vampire that endured into the nine-teenth century, and as you have witnesses through out the net, it is still exercised by many today. "Vampyre" is closely connected to the Latin Vampyrus, to john Polidori's title for his short story " The Vampyre" (1819), and to the works of experts of previous centuries, including Zopfus, Rohl, and Ranft. As the word Vampire came into more common usage with the translation of such Eastern European names as upior, upyr, vampir, and vapir into English, vampyre became less common.
Through out the Vampire Community, you will come across spelling variations of "vampire". Some feel that "vampyre"is superior to "vampire" because it has a more aristocratic flair with a dark, elder essence. Sometimes the simplistic reason for use of "vampyre" is the admiration of how it appears, nothing more. But often, I find that those who expend "vampyre" are dismissed as a real vampire, and looked upon as a role player. This assumption is made because many role players have adapted the spelling of "vampyre" when referencing to their characters of the game. Others flavor "vampire" over "vampyre" because it is more modern, or because it differentiates "vampyre"(immortalmyths) from "real vampires" (human blood & energy drinkers). Many writers prefer"vampyre"or"vampyr" for their literary creations, using it to differentiate their undead from either the fanciful cinematic variety or a more violent species of vampire. In the end, it is up to the individual of how they would like to interpret either spelling, since one meaning for either "vampire" or "vampyre" is not set in stone.
What are your thoughts in contrasting these two words?
May the Darkness serve you well,
Lord Seth
