δαιμονικός

Forms

δαιμονῐκός (daimonikós) m (feminine δαιμονῐκή, neuter δαιμονῐκόν); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek δαίμων (daímōn, “divinity, spirit”) + -ικός (-ikós).^[1][2][3] Latin borrowed it as daemonicus, the source of English demonic.^[1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in Plutarch, who reports that the Egyptians held the ass to be not pure but possessed by a daemon, and who also uses it of the power of Typhon.^[5][6][7]

Semantic evolution

In Plutarch the word belongs to the lower, often harmful spirits: a punishing, Fury-like impulse is called δαιμονικός, and violence is “not divine but daemonic”, in contrast with θεῖος (theîos).^[5][8][9]

Christian writers used it of evil spirits: Athenagoras of daemonic movements, Clement of Alexandria of the sinner or heretic who becomes possessed, Eusebius of the error of the pagans and of Mani's nature.^[5] Ignatius calls those who deny the resurrection of the flesh bodiless and ghost-like.^[10][5] The neuter came to be used as a noun for an evil spirit.^[5]

Medieval vernacular Greek used it of spirits and of devilish sin, and the neuter noun for an evil spirit or goblin.^[11] In Modern Greek δαιμονικός (daimonikós) is a learned revival of the Hellenistic adjective, “demonic, devilish”, also “extraordinary”, while the noun δαιμονικό (daimonikó) “evil spirit” continues the medieval word.^[12][13] English demonic (1660s) comes from Latin daemonicus.^[4]

Timeline

• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch uses it of an animal possessed by a daemon and of things sent by a daemon.^[6][5]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Ignatius of Antioch calls unbelieving teachers ghost-like.^[10][5]
• 2nd century AD – Athenagoras speaks of daemonic movements.^[5]
• 2nd–3rd century AD – Clement of Alexandria says the sinner becomes a demoniac.^[5]
• 3rd–4th century AD – Eusebius calls Mani daemonic by nature.^[5]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular texts use it for spirits and devilish sin, and the neuter for an evil spirit.^[11]
• 1660s – English demonic is first recorded, from Latin daemonicus.^[4]
• Modern Greek – δαιμονικός (daimonikós) means “demonic”, and the noun δαιμονικό (daimonikó) “evil spirit”.^[12]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of persons or animals, possessed by a daemon or god; in Christian writers, possessed by an evil spirit, demoniac.^[6][2][5]
2. Of things, sent by or coming from a daemon; demonic, as opposed to divine.^[6][5][8]
3. (Christian) Ghost-like, of bodiless spirits.^[10][5]
4. (neuter as noun) τὸ δαιμονικόν, an evil spirit.^[5][11]

Related words

• δαίμων (daímōn)
• δαιμόνιος (daimónios)
• Latin daemonicus
• English demonic

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, online ed., https://www.koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
6. ^ a b c d Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
8. ^ a b Pape, Wilhelm (1914), Griechisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 3rd ed., rev. Max Sengebusch, Braunschweig: Vieweg
9. ^ Charbonnet, André (2025), Chæréphon, v4.7: supplement to Bailly from papyri, inscriptions and recent lexica
10. ^ a b c Bauer, Walter; Danker, Frederick W., et al. (2000), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press
11. ^ a b c Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
12. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
13. ^ Τεγόπουλος, Γ.; Φυτράκης, Ε. (1997), Μείζον Ελληνικό Λεξικό, Athens: Αρμονία