pagan English · revision 1659

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈpeɪɡən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from Middle English ''paygan'', ''pagan'',^(Barnhart 1995)^(AHD) [[der|la-lat|paganus|t=pagan]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) which in classical Latin meant “villager, rustic” and also “civilian”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''pāgus'' “rural district”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) related to ''pangere'' “to fix, fasten”.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) It is related to [[peasant]] and [[paynim]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A person who does not hold the Christian or Jewish faith; a heathen (c. 1375 in the OED, c. 1400 in Etymonline, probably before 1400 in Barnhart).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The religious sense was long explained by old beliefs lingering in the countryside after the towns had become Christian.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) Etymonline and Random House prefer another explanation: in Roman military slang ''pāgānus'' meant a civilian, and early Christians, who called themselves soldiers of Christ, used it for those who were not.^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) The adjective appears in the early 15th century (1422).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) From 1841 the noun was used of a person with heathenish habits,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) and from 1908 it was applied to modern nature-worshippers and pantheists.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1375 – a heathen (OED).^(OED 1989)

+ * 1422 – adjective.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1433 – ''paganism''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1841 – a person of heathenish character.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1908 – a nature-worshipper.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A follower of a [[polytheism|alt=polytheistic]] religion, such as that of ancient Rome; a [[heathen]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A person who is not a Christian, Jew or Muslim.^(AHD)^(RHWU)

+ # A person with little or no religion, especially one devoted to [[sensual]] pleasures; a [[hedonist]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # A follower of a modern nature-worshipping religion; a [[neopagan]].^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of or relating to pagans or their religions.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Having no religion; [[irreligious]].^(AHD)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pagandom]]

+ * [[paganish]]

+ * [[paganism]]

+ * [[paganize]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[peasant]]

+ * [[paynim]]

+ * [[heathen]]

+ * [[pact]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ When it refers to modern paganism, the word is now often capitalized, like the names of other religions.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}