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Ioannes

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word Ioannes

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
98–115 AD, Tacitus
Borrowed from
Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης
Ultimate origin
Biblical Hebrew יוֹחָנָן

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [joːˈan.neːs], [i.oːˈan.neːs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [joˈan.nes], [i.oˈan.nes][1]

Forms

Iōannēs m sg (genitive Iōannis); third declension[1] Also spelled Iohannes (Johannes).[2] Prudentius has the nominative Ioannis.[3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), a contraction of Biblical Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yôḥānān, “God is gracious”).[1][5] The Greek name belonged to the first declension, but in Latin it was moved to the third.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot cites Tacitus' Histories for John of Gischala, defeated by Titus.[2]

Semantic evolution

In Christian Latin it is above all the name of John the Baptist, from Lactantius on, and of John the Evangelist, both in the Vulgate.[3][4][5] Prudentius also has the nominative Ioannis.[3][4] It later named other people, among them John, the usurper of the Western empire.[2]

Medieval Latin altered it to Johannes,[6] and it is the source, through Old French, of the English name John.[6]

Timeline

  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus names John of Gischala.[2][5]
  • c. 250–317 AD – Lactantius names John the Baptist.[3][5]
  • 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it for John the Baptist and John the Evangelist.[3][5]
  • 348/49–c. 413 AD – Prudentius has the nominative Ioannis.[3][5]

Meanings

Proper noun

  1. A male given name, equivalent to English John.[1]
  2. John the Baptist.[3][4]
  3. John the Evangelist, the apostle.[3][4]
  • English John

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Ioannes.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/Ioannes. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·