θεολογία

Forms

θεολογῐ́ᾱ (theologíā) f (genitive θεολογῐ́ᾱς); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek θεολόγος (theológos, “one who speaks about the gods”) + -ία (-ía).^[1][2] The θεολόγος (theológos) is one who discourses about the gods, from θεός (theós, “god”) and the root of λέγω (légō, “to speak”).^[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first recorded use is in Plato's Republic, where Socrates lays down outlines for speaking rightly about the gods: θεολογία is an account of the gods or of things divine.^[4][5][6][7]

Semantic evolution

For the Greek philosophers the first “theologians” were the poets, Orpheus, Musaeus, Homer and Hesiod, who told myths about the gods, and Plato wanted a theology based on principles by which poetry could be judged.^[7] Aristotle uses the plural of the poets' accounts, and the word later named an Orphic poem.^[4] Philodemus, Porphyry and Iamblichus use it for the science of things divine.^[4] An inscription uses it for a speech in praise of a god, and a magical papyrus of the 4th century AD for the invocation of a god.^[4][8]

Christian writers gave it the sense of doctrine about God, and Origen uses it of the divinity of Christ.^[2] Coptic borrowed it as ⲑⲉⲟⲗⲟⲅⲓⲁ (theologia), recorded in a Sahidic manuscript of 875.^[9] In medieval Greek it meant the science of theology and also the Christian religion itself.^[10] Modern Greek keeps it as the learned θεολογία (theología).^[11] Through Latin theologia and Old French it gave English theology in the late 14th century.^[3]

Timeline

• 5th–4th century BC – Plato's Republic uses it for an account of the gods.^[4][5][12]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses the plural for the poets' accounts of the gods.^[4][12]
• 1st century BC – Philodemus uses it for the science of things divine.^[4][12]
• 4th century AD – A magical papyrus uses it for the invocation of a god.^[4][8]
• 875 – A Sahidic manuscript has the Coptic borrowing ⲑⲉⲟⲗⲟⲅⲓⲁ (theologia).^[9]
• Late 14th century – English has theology, through Old French and Latin.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. Discourse about the gods; the science of things divine, theology.^[4][5][2]
2. The title of an Orphic work.^[4]
3. A speech in praise of a god.^[4]
4. An invocation of a god, an incantation.^[4][8]
5. (Christian) The doctrine of the divinity of Christ.^[2]

Related words

• θεολόγος (theológos)
• θεός (theós)
• λόγος (lógos)
• Latin theologia
• English theology

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
6. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
7. ^ a b Cancik, Hubert; Schneider, Helmuth, eds. (2002–2010), Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c Muñoz Delgado, Luis (2001), Léxico de magia y religión en los papiros mágicos griegos, Madrid: CSIC
9. ^ a b Database and Dictionary of Greek Loanwords in Coptic (DDGLC), Freie Universität Berlin and Universität Leipzig
10. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
11. ^ Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
12. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge