σεβαστός

Forms

σεβᾰστός (sebastós) m (feminine σεβᾰστή, neuter σεβᾰστόν); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

A verbal adjective, from σεβάζομαι (sebázomai, “to revere”) with the suffix -τός (-tós), "worthy of reverence".^[1][2][3] σεβάζομαι (sebázomai) was formed from σέβας (sébas, “awe”), beside σέβομαι (sébomai), which has its own verbal adjective σεπτός (septós).^[4][1]

This verb is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *tségʷomai,^[1] traditionally compared with Sanskrit त्यजति (tyájati, “to abandon”), from Proto-Indo-European *tyegʷ- (“to leave, give up”), and Beekes suggests that it first meant "to shrink back from".^[4][1]

As a title it renders Latin augustus: Pausanias says that Augustus means σεβαστός in Greek.^[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record in the corpus is in Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Roman Antiquities 2.75), meaning venerable, august.^[5][6][3] An Athenian inscription of 27 BC already names a priest of Rome and of "Sebastos the saviour".^[2]

Semantic evolution

From the first century BC it was the Greek title of the Roman emperor, ὁ Σεβαστός, "Augustus", and Σεβαστή of the empress, "Augusta".^[5][2][7] The New Testament uses it of the emperor (Acts 25:21) and of an "imperial" cohort (Acts 27:1).^[2][8][9] In Egypt σεβαστή (with ἡμέρα understood) was the emperor's day, celebrated every month, and the word named a month and games in his honour, the Σεβαστεῖα (Sebasteîa).^[5]

In Byzantine and medieval Greek it became the title of a dignitary, and in the vernacular it also meant a man of high birth.^[10][11] Modern Greek σεβαστός (sevastós) is a learned word for "respected", used in addressing elders, and also for a "considerable" sum or number.^[12][11]

Timeline

• 1st century BC – Dionysius of Halicarnassus uses it for "venerable".^[5][6][13]
• 27 BC – An Athenian inscription names a priest of the goddess Roma and of Sebastos the saviour.^[2]
• 1st century BC to 1st century AD – Strabo uses Σεβαστός for the emperor Augustus.^[5][2][13]
• 1st century AD – The Acts of the Apostles uses it of the emperor and of an imperial cohort.^[2][9]
• 2nd century AD – Pausanias explains that Latin Augustus means σεβαστός in Greek.^[2][13]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular texts use it for a title of rank and a man of high birth.^[10]
• Modern Greek – σεβαστός (sevastós) means "respected" and "considerable".^[12]

Meanings

Adjective

1. venerable, august, worthy of reverence.^[5][2][3]
2. Imperial, of the emperor: σπεῖρα σεβαστή, an imperial cohort.^[9][8]

Noun

1. ὁ Σεβαστός: Augustus, the title of the Roman emperor; fem. Σεβαστή, Augusta.^[5][7][2]
2. ἡ σεβαστή (sc. ἡμέρα): the emperor's day, kept every month.^[5]
3. (Byzantine) A court title.^[10][11]

Related words

• σέβομαι (sébomai)
• σεβάζομαι (sebázomai)
• σέβας (sébas)
• σεπτός (septós)
• Latin augustus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
3. ^ a b c Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
4. ^ a b Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
7. ^ a b Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
8. ^ a b United Bible Societies (2023), UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (revised Louw–Nida semantic domains), open-licence ed.
9. ^ a b c Woordenboek Grieks/Nederlands (2012–), Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, https://woordenboekgrieks.nl
10. ^ a b c Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
11. ^ a b c Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος
12. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
13. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge