διάβολος

Forms

δῐᾰ́βολος (diábolos) m or f (neuter δῐᾰ́βολον); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek διαβάλλω (diabállō, “to slander”),^[1][2] formed on the o-grade stem ⟨-βολ-⟩ of the verb, as βολή (bolḗ) is beside the simple verb.^[2] The verb is δια- (dia-, “through, across”) and βάλλω (bállō, “to throw”), literally “to throw across”.^[1]

The sense “the Devil” is a Hellenistic semantic loan: the Septuagint used διάβολος to translate Biblical Hebrew שָׂטָן (śāṭān, “adversary, accuser”), and it became the title of Satan.^[3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest record is a fragment of Pindar, where it is an adjective meaning slanderous, a teller of tales.^[6] Aristophanes calls the Paphlagonian the most slanderous of men, and Thucydides has the adverb.^[6][3]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Greek the word meant slanderous, of people, and as a noun a slanderer: Xenophon says that Agesilaus hated slanderers more than thieves.^[7][6][2] Andocides uses it of a state of mind that prejudices someone against another.^[7] The adjective stayed in use for gossiping, backbiting people, women among them, as in the Pastoral Epistles of the New Testament.^[6][3]

The Septuagint gave it a new sense.^[3] Mostly it means an enemy or adversary there, as Haman is the adversary of the Jews in Esther, but in Job, Zechariah and 1 Chronicles it renders Satan, the accuser.^[8][4][3] In the New Testament ὁ διάβολος is the name of the Devil, the chief of the evil powers, who tempts Jesus in the wilderness.^[3][7]

Through Church Latin diabolus the word passed into many European languages.^[2] English devil and French diable come from it.^[2] It continued without a break into Medieval and Modern Greek, where διάβολος (diávolos) and the colloquial διάολος (diáolos) mean the Devil and a devil.^[9][5]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it of a slanderer.^[6]
• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes uses it as an adjective, slanderous, and Xenophon as a noun, a slanderer.^[6][7]
• 3rd–1st century BC – The Septuagint uses it of an adversary and, in Job and 1 Chronicles, of Satan.^[8][3]
• 1st century AD – The Gospels use it of the Devil who tempts Jesus.^[3][7]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular Greek keeps the word in the same form and sense.^[9]
• Modern Greek – διάβολος (diávolos), colloquially διάολος (diáolos), means the Devil.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Slanderous, backbiting; given to malicious gossip.^[7][6][3]
2. Prejudicial, setting someone against another.^[7]

Noun

1. A slanderer, a false accuser; an adversary.^[7][3][8]
2. (Septuagint, New Testament) The Devil, Satan.^[3][7][4]

Related words

• διαβάλλω (diabállō)
• διαβολή (diabolḗ)
• Latin diabolus
• Modern Greek διάβολος (diávolos)
• English devil

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
4. ^ a b c Abbott-Smith, G. (1922), A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark
5. ^ a b c Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
6. ^ a b c d e f g Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
8. ^ a b c Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
9. ^ a b Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr