ἀγγελικός

Forms

ἀγγελῐκός (angelikós) m (feminine ἀγγελῐκή, neuter ἀγγελῐκόν); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἄγγελος (ángelos, “messenger, angel”) + -ικός (-ikós).^[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record in the GLAUx corpus is in Ignatius of Antioch, who speaks of the places of the angels in his letter to the Trallians.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

In the 2nd century AD, from the ordinary sense of ἄγγελος (ángelos), it meant “of a messenger”: Phrynichus records it of a messenger's speech, and Galen of sensation, which conveys information.^[5][6] Pollux and Athenaeus name a Sicilian mimic dance at banquets the “messenger dance”, perhaps after Ἄγγελος as a name of Hecate.^[5][6] Latin grammarians also use it as a name for a kind of dactylic hexameter.^[6]

From ἄγγελος “angel” it meant “angelic”: the Protevangelium of James and the Testament of Job use it of angelic beings and speech, and the Neoplatonists Proclus and Hierocles of angelic orders and minds.^[4][5][6]

Medieval Greek kept the word, and it survives in Modern Greek αγγελικός (angelikós) “angelic”.^[7][2]

Timeline

• 1st–2nd century AD – Ignatius of Antioch speaks of the places of the angels.^[4][3]
• 2nd century AD – Phrynichus uses it of a messenger's speech, and Galen of sensation.^[5][6]
• 2nd century AD – Pollux names the Sicilian “messenger dance”.^[5][6]
• 5th century AD – Proclus and Hierocles speak of angelic orders and minds.^[5][6]
• Modern Greek – It survives with the sense “angelic”.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or for a messenger.^[5][6]
2. Conveying information.^[5][6]
3. angelic, of angels.^[5][4]
4. In ἀγγελικὴ ὄρχησις, a Sicilian mimic dance at banquets.^[5][6]
5. (metrics) A kind of catalectic dactylic hexameter.^[6]

Related words

• ἄγγελος (ángelos)
• ἀγγέλλω (angéllō)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
3. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
4. ^ a b c d 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 e f g h i j Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
7. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr