θεοσοφία

Forms

θεοσοφῐ́ᾱ (theosophíā) f (genitive θεοσοφῐ́ᾱς); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek θεόσοφος (theósophos, “wise in divine things”) + -ία (-íā).^[1][2] θεόσοφος (theósophos) is a compound of θεός (theós, “god”) and σοφός (sophós, “wise”).^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

GLAUx finds it first in Porphyry's On Abstinence, which speaks of excessive θεοσοφία, the knowledge of things divine.^[5][6][2] It also occurs in a magical papyrus, which tells the reader who has been filled with divine wisdom to hide the book.^[6][7]

Semantic evolution

The Neoplatonists used it for the wisdom of particular traditions: Proclus speaks of Hellenic and Chaldaean theosophy, and Damascius uses it too.^[6] In Pseudo-Dionysius it is equivalent to θεολογία (theologíā).^[8]

English theosophy (1640s) comes from Medieval Latin theosophia, used by Scotus Eriugena, from the Late Greek word.^[4] Modern Greek θεοσοφία (theosofía) is a learned borrowing of the English word, for a religious and philosophical system that seeks the union of man with God.^[9][10]

Timeline

• 3rd century AD – Porphyry uses it in On Abstinence.^[6][2][5]
• 5th century AD – Proclus speaks of Hellenic and Chaldaean theosophy.^[6]
• 5th century AD – Pseudo-Dionysius uses it in the sense of theology.^[8]
• 5th–6th century AD – Damascius uses it.^[6]
• 1640s – English theosophy is first recorded.^[4]
• Modern Greek – θεοσοφία (theosofía) names the modern religious and philosophical movement, after the English word.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. Knowledge of things divine, divine wisdom.^[6][2][7]
2. Theology.^[8]

Related words

• θεολογία (theologíā)
• Medieval Latin theosophia
• English theosophy

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. ^ 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 Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
6. ^ a b c d e f g Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Muñoz Delgado, Luis (2001), Léxico de magia y religión en los papiros mágicos griegos, Madrid: CSIC
8. ^ a b c Pape, Wilhelm (1914), Griechisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 3rd ed., rev. Max Sengebusch, Braunschweig: Vieweg
9. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
10. ^ Ακαδημία Αθηνών (2014), Χρηστικό Λεξικό της Νεοελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Academy of Athens