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εὐαγγέλιον

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Etymology and origin of the Ancient Greek word εὐαγγέλιον

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
700s BC Homer, Odyssey
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek εὐάγγελος

Pronunciation

  • 5th-century BC Attic: /eu̯.aŋ.ɡé.li.on/[1]
  • 4th-century AD Koine: /e.βaɲˈɟe.li.on/[1]
  • 10th-century Byzantine: /e.vaɲˈɟe.li.on/[1]

Forms

εὐαγγέλιον (euangélion) n (genitive εὐαγγελίου); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek εὐάγγελος (euángelos, “bringing good news”),[1][2] itself formed from εὐ- (eu-, “good, well”) and ἄγγελος (ángelos, “messenger”) or the verb ἀγγέλλω (angéllō, “to announce”).[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Odyssey (14.152, 166) it is the reward owed to the bearer of good news.[4][5][2]

Semantic evolution

In Attic it is always plural: εὐαγγέλια θύειν was to offer a thank-offering for good news (Isocrates, Xenophon, Aeschines), and Aristophanes has a messenger crowned for good tidings.[4][6] In Hellenistic Greek the word came to mean the good news itself: the Septuagint has the plural once (2 Kings 4:10), and Cicero's letters, Josephus and Plutarch use it of political and private news and news of victory.[4][5][7] The ruler cult gave it a religious colour: an inscription of Priene calls the birthday of the god Augustus the beginning of good tidings for the world, and Josephus tells how the towns sacrificed for the εὐαγγέλια of Vespasian's elevation.[8][5]

In the New Testament it is used only of the good news of God's action in Jesus Christ, the gospel that is preached (Mark 1:15, Romans 1:16).[8][3] The New Testament never uses it of a book, but by the 2nd century Justin speaks of the Gospels as writings, and a papyrus of about AD 200 has the word as a title;[5] Clement of Alexandria refers to “the Gospel according to Luke”.[2] In medieval Greek it was the Gospel book and the Gospel reading of the liturgy, with the popular form βαγγέλιο (vangélio).[9][1]

It was borrowed as Latin evangelium, Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌴𐌻𐌾𐍉 (aiwaggēljō) and Coptic ⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ (euaggelion).[1] From Church Latin came Old French evangile and English evangel (mid-14th century), while the Old English godspel, “good tidings”, translated it through Latin.[10] Modern Greek ευαγγέλιο (evangélio) is a learned word for each of the Gospels.[11]

Timeline

  • Homer – The Odyssey uses it for the reward due for good news.[4][5]
  • 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes uses the plural of crowning a messenger who brings good news.[4][12]
  • 4th century BC – Isocrates and Aeschines speak of sacrifices offered for good news.[4][12]
  • 1st century BC – Cicero's letters use the plural for good news.[4][5][12]
  • 1st century AD – Josephus calls the news of Vespasian's elevation εὐαγγέλια.[5][8][12]
  • 2nd–3rd century AD – Clement of Alexandria refers to “the Gospel according to Luke”.[2][12]
  • About AD 200 – A papyrus manuscript has the word as the title of a Gospel.[5]
  • 1100–1669 – Vernacular texts use it for the Gospel book and the Gospel reading of the liturgy.[9]
  • Modern Greek – The learned word names each of the four Gospels.[11]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A reward for good news, given to the messenger.[4][6]
  2. (in the plural) A thank-offering for good news; the crowning of the one who brings it.[4][6]
  3. Good news, glad tidings.[4][6][5]
  4. (New Testament) The gospel: the good news of God's kingdom and of Jesus Christ.[8][6]
  5. (Christian) A Gospel, one of the books on the life and teaching of Jesus, and (Byzantine) the Gospel book and the Gospel reading of the liturgy.[2][5][9]

Word family

  • εὐαγγελίζω (euangelízō)
  • εὐαγγελιστής (euangelistḗs)
  • εὐαγγελία (euangelía)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
  3. ^ a b Spicq, Ceslas (1994), Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, tr. James D. Ernest, 3 vols, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cancik, Hubert; Schneider, Helmuth, eds. (2002–2010), Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ a b c d e Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  7. ^ Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
  8. ^ a b c d 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
  9. ^ a b c Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
  10. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  11. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
  12. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
Cite this entry

“Εὐαγγέλιον.” Etymologically, 1 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/grc/%CE%B5%E1%BD%90%CE%B1%CE%B3%CE%B3%CE%AD%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BF%CE%BD. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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