θεῖος

θεῖος¹ divine

Pronunciation

• 5th-century BC Attic: /tʰêː.os/^[1]
• 4th-century AD Koine: /ˈθi.os/^[1]
• 10th-century Byzantine: /ˈθi.os/^[1]

Forms

θεῖος (theîos) m (feminine θείᾱ, neuter θεῖον); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

The adjective “divine” is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *tʰḗhyos,^[1] formed from θεός (theós, “god”) with the adjectival suffix -ιος (-ios), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁s-yo-.^[1][2] Beekes lists it among the derivatives of that noun, which he connects with Armenian “gods” and Latin fēriae (“festive days”).^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Homer on, of what comes from or belongs to the gods: a divine race, a divine voice, a dream sent by Zeus; and of what is sacred to them, such as the games and the dancing floor.^[3][4] Homer also calls heroes and kings “godlike”, and excellent things, such as wine or the sea, “divine”.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

In Herodotus and Attic the neuter τὸ θεῖον means “the divinity”, the divine power, and the plural τὰ θεῖα “the acts of the gods” and “matters of religion”.^[3] Plato uses θεῖος ἀνήρ of an inspired or excellent man, and Aristotle calls the heavenly bodies “the visible divine things”.^[3] The Laconians said σεῖος for it.^[3]

Under the Roman Empire it rendered Latin dīvīnus and Latin dīvus: “imperial” (imperial decrees, the oath by the emperor) and “deified”, of dead emperors.^[3] The New Testament uses it of the divine nature and power.^[5] Medieval Greek kept the adjective, and Modern Greek θείος (thíos) “divine, of God” is a learned continuation of it.^[6][7]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and Odyssey use it for what comes from the gods and what is sacred to them.^[3][4]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses the neuter τὸ θεῖον for the divinity.^[3][8]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle calls the heavenly bodies divine things.^[3][8]
• Around AD 200 – Papyri use it for “imperial”, translating Latin dīvīnus.^[3]
• Modern Greek – Modern Greek θείος (thíos) means divine, of God (learned).^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or from the gods, divine.^[3][4]
2. Belonging or sacred to a god, holy.^[3][4]
3. More than human, godlike, of heroes and inspired men.^[3]
4. Of things, excellent, marvellous.^[3]
5. (Roman period) Imperial, of the emperor; of a dead emperor, deified.^[3]
6. (substantive) τὸ θεῖον, the Divinity, divine power; τὰ θεῖα, the acts of the gods, matters of religion.^[3]

Word family

• θειότης (theiótēs)
• πάνθειος (pántheios)

θεῖος² uncle

Forms

θεῖος (theîos) m (genitive θείου); second declension^[1]

Etymology

The noun “uncle” is probably a nursery word, from a babbling syllable *θη (*thē) extended with the suffix -ειος (-eios).^[2][9] Chantraine calls it a familiar term related in some way to the reduplicated τήθη (tḗthē, “grandmother”) and τηθίς (tēthís, “aunt”).^[10][1] It is unrelated to the adjective θεῖος¹ (theîos, “divine”).^[2][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is Attic, first in Euripides' Iphigenia in Tauris and Aristophanes' Clouds, for a father's or mother's brother.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Chantraine notes that it does not belong to the old series of Indo-European kinship terms.^[10] The orators distinguish an uncle on the mother's side and on the father's.^[3] Late Greek formed θεία “aunt” (in the papyri), replacing τηθίς, and πρόθειος “great-uncle”, on the model of Latin proavus.^[10][9]

The word passed into Italian as zio (“uncle”).^[2][9] Medieval Greek kept it, and Modern Greek has the learned θείος (thíos) and the popular θειος (thios), pronounced with one syllable less, with the feminine θεια; the popular form is also used to address an older man who is no relative.^[6][7]

Timeline

• 5th century BC – Euripides and Aristophanes use it for a father's or mother's brother.^[3][8]
• 5th–4th century BC – Isaeus distinguishes the uncle on the mother's side.^[3][8]
• Late antiquity – The papyri have the feminine θεία “aunt”.^[10][9]
• Modern Greek – Modern Greek θείος (thíos) and popular θειος (thios) mean “uncle”.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A father's or mother's brother, an uncle.^[3][2]