1786, goul, in the English translation of William Beckford's Orientalist novel "Vathek" (which was written in French), from Arabic ghul, an evil spirit that robs graves and feeds on corpses, from ghala "he seized."
Ghibelline
*ghieh-
ghost
*ghos-ti-
ghostly
ghoul
ghoulish
*ghredh-
*ghrei-
*ghwer-
giant