Etymologically
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σάββατον

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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)

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