doppelgänger
"double-goer." An apparition or the ghostly double of a living person. It is generally regarded as the harbinger of bad luck, portending illness or danger. Seeing one's own doppelgänger is an omen of death. See also vardøger. Other terms include fetch, waff, fye, swarth, and task.
❧
Mid nineteenth century, from German, literally "double-goer."
References
Source
- Wright, J. (1900). The English dialect dictionary. Vol. 2. London: H. Frowde.