δοξολογία

Forms

δοξολογῐ́ᾱ (doxologíā) f (genitive δοξολογῐ́ᾱς); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek δοξολόγος (doxológos, “telling the glory of”) with the abstract suffix -ία (-ía), and δοξολόγος (doxológos) is made of δόξα (dóxa) and -λογία (-logía), from λέγω (légō).^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest text with the word in the GLAUx corpus is the Testament of Abraham, dated there to the 1st century AD, where it is praise given to God.^[4][5]

Semantic evolution

Iamblichus uses it for the praise of a god, but the word belongs above all to Christian literature, where it is the glorification of God and the praise offered to him.^[6][7] The Protevangelium of James uses it for a prayer said at its fixed hour, and Origen, Athanasius, Eusebius and Basil use it for the glorifying of the godhead.^[5][7] A 5th-century inscription from Petra speaks of sending up hymns of doxology.^[7]

Medieval vernacular Greek used it for a church service in which hymns of glory are sung.^[8] Modern Greek δοξολογία (doxología) is a learned word for the hymns that begin with “Glory” and for the thanksgiving service held on national holidays and great occasions.^[9][10]

Timeline

• 1st century AD – The Testament of Abraham uses it of praise given to God.^[4][5]
• 2nd century AD – The Protevangelium of James uses it for a prayer at its appointed hour.^[5][4]
• 2nd–3rd century AD – Origen uses it in his work On Prayer, and Julius Africanus of the glorifying of Christ.^[5][7]
• 4th century AD – Iamblichus uses it of the praise of a god, and Athanasius of the divine doxology.^[6][7]
• 5th century AD – An inscription from Petra mentions hymns of doxology.^[7]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular texts use it for a church service with hymns of praise.^[8]
• Modern Greek – The learned word δοξολογία (doxología) names hymns of glory and a solemn thanksgiving service.^[9][10]

Meanings

Noun

1. Praise, glorification, especially of a god.^[6][7]
2. (Christianity) Glory and praise offered to God; a doxology.^[7][11]
3. A prayer said at a fixed hour.^[5]
4. (Byzantine) A church service in which hymns of praise are sung.^[8]

Word family

• δοξολόγος (doxológos)
• δοξολογέω (doxologéō)

Related words

• δόξα (dóxa)
• λέγω (légō)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Τεγόπουλος, Γ.; Φυτράκης, Ε. (1997), Μείζον Ελληνικό Λεξικό, Athens: Αρμονία
3. ^ Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
4. ^ a b c Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
5. ^ a b c d e f 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
6. ^ a b c Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
8. ^ a b c Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
9. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
10. ^ a b Ακαδημία Αθηνών (2014), Χρηστικό Λεξικό της Νεοελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Academy of Athens
11. ^ Korinthios, J. (2025), Grande Dizionario Greco Classico: Greco–Italiano, digital ed., Milan: Hoepli