Etymologically
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ἔκστασις

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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]

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