σάββατον

Pronunciation

• IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈsaβ.βa.ton/^[1]
• IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈsav.va.ton/^[1]

Forms

σάββατον (sábbaton) n (genitive σαββάτου); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is a Semitic loanword, borrowed from Biblical Hebrew שַׁבָּת (šabbāṯ, “Sabbath”), or from Aramaic שַׁבְּתָא (šabbəṯā).^[1][2][3] The Septuagint's plural may render the Aramaic form.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Septuagint uses it for the Sabbath from Exodus on, in the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The Greek translators made a whole family of words from it: σάββατα σαββάτων “a sabbath of sabbaths”, and the verb σαββατίζω “to keep the Sabbath”.^[3] Plutarch and Josephus use it of Jewish practice.^[4] In the New Testament it is the Sabbath, the seventh day of rest, and, singular or plural, the week that ends with it: μία τῶν σαββάτων “the first day of the week”.^[4][2]

In medieval Greek it became the name of Saturday, with forms such as Σαμβάτο.^[5] Modern Greek Σάββατο is Saturday.^[5]

Timeline

• 3rd–1st century BC – The Septuagint uses it for the Sabbath.^[3]
• 1st century AD – Josephus and the New Testament use it for the Sabbath and the week.^[4]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch uses it of Jewish custom.^[4]
• 12th–17th century – Vernacular Greek uses it for Saturday.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Judaism) The Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, a day of rest.^[2][4]
2. (often plural) The week.^[2][4]
3. (Byzantine) Saturday.^[5]

Word family

• σαββάτωσις (sabbátōsis)

Related words

• English Sabbath

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c d Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr