A soul is often understood as the spiritual or non-physical part of a person that gives them life and identity. In religion and philosophy, it is sometimes believed to live on after the body dies.
From Old English *sāwol* or *sāwel*, related to Old High German *sēula* and Gothic *saiwala*, all meaning “soul.” The deeper Proto-Germanic origin is uncertain but very ancient.
The idea of a soul is so old and widespread that even unrelated cultures have their own words for it. In modern English, we also use it metaphorically—like “soul music” or “poor soul”—to talk about deep feeling and humanity.
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