apostle

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əˈpɒs(ə)l/ (UK); /əˈpɑsl̩/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is a fusion of inherited from Old English apostol (“messenger; disciple of Christ”) and inherited from Middle English apostle, borrowed from Old French apostle,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} both from Late Latin apostolus,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (apóstolos, “messenger, envoy”),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from apostéllein “to send away”, from Ancient Greek ἀπό (apó, “away”) + στέλλω (stéllō, “to send”).^[2][3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

One of the twelve witnesses whom Jesus sent out to preach the Gospel (c. 975);^[7][3][4] the general sense of a messenger is also recorded in Old English.^[7][4]

Semantic evolution

The current form, dominant since the 16th century, was influenced by Old French.^[4] From the early 15th century the word meant a missionary who first brings Christianity to a region.^[7][4] The figurative sense, the chief advocate of a new principle or leader of a reform, dates from 1810, as in the Apostle of Temperance.^[7][4] In the Mormon church an apostle is a member of the administrative council of twelve.^[2][1]

Timeline

• c. 950 – a messenger (Old English).^[7]
• c. 975 – one of the Twelve Apostles.^[7][3]
• c. 1425 – the first missionary to a region.^[7][4]
• 1810 – the leader of a reform.^[7][4]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. (often capitalized) One of the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus to preach the gospel.
2. A missionary of the early Church, or the leader of the first Christian mission to a country.
3. A person who pioneers an important reform, cause or belief; a passionate supporter.
4. One of the twelve members of the governing council of the Mormon Church.

Word family

• apostlehood
• apostleship
• apostolate
• apostolic
• Apostles' Creed

Related words

• epistle
• disciple
• missionary

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press