ἔκστασις

Pronunciation

• IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /éks.ta.sis/^[1]
• IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈeks.ta.sis/^[1]
• IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈeks.ta.sis/^[1]

Forms

ἔκστᾰσῐς (ékstasis) f (genitive ἐκστᾰ́σεως); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is derived from ἐξίστημι (exístēmi, “to displace, (intransitive) to be out of one's mind”), formed from ἐκ (ek, “out”) and ἵστημι (hístēmi, “to stand, set”).^[1][2][3] Ἵστημι is from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Hippocratic writings use it for the displacement of joints and for distraction of mind.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Aristotle uses it for displacement and change in general, as every movement displaces what is moved, and for madness.^[2][5] Theophrastus for degeneracy of nature.^[2][5] It also meant standing aside out of respect, and in the papyri the cession of property.^[2][6] Menander observes that “the unexpected brings ekstasis”, the loss of one's wits, and Longinus speaks of leading hearers to it.^[2][3]

In the Septuagint it is terror, dismay, astonishment, and a deep torpor; in the New Testament amazement, as when people are “beside themselves with amazement”, and a trance in which visions come.^[7][3][6] Philo and Plotinus use it for a trance.^[3][2] Latin borrowed it as ecstasis.^[1] Modern Greek έκσταση (ékstasi) continues it.^[1]

Timeline

• 5th century BC – The Hippocratic writings use it for displacement and distraction.^[2][5]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it for change and madness.^[2]
• 4th–3rd century BC – Menander uses it for being beside oneself.^[2][3]
• 3rd–1st century BC – The Septuagint uses it for terror and astonishment.^[7]
• 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it for amazement and trance.^[3]
• 3rd century AD – Plotinus uses it for the soul's ecstasy.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. Displacement, as of a joint; change.^[2][5]
2. A standing aside, or (papyri) a cession of property.^[2][6]
3. Distraction of mind; madness.^[2][6]
4. astonishment, amazement; terror.^[3][7]
5. A trance, ecstasy.^[3][6]

Related words

• ἐξίστημι (exístēmi)
• ἵστημι (hístēmi)
• English ecstasy

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
4. ^ 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 Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
6. ^ a b c d e Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
7. ^ a b c Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft