ἀνάθεμα Ancient Greek · revision 3275

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=4th century BC, inscription from Epidaurus|origins=grc ἀνατίθημι}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /a.ná.tʰe.ma/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /aˈna.θe.ma/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /aˈna.θe.ma/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ᾰ̓νᾰ́θεμᾰ''' (anáthema) ''n'' (genitive ᾰ̓νᾰθέμᾰτος); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is derived from [[ἀνατίθημι|tr=anatíthēmi|t=to set up, dedicate]], with the suffix [[m|grc|-μα|tr=-ma]]: “something set up”.^(Wiktionary)^(LSJ 1940)^(BDAG 2000) It is the Hellenistic form of the older [[ἀνάθημα|tr=anáthēma]], which has the same meaning; poets also have the short form [[ἄνθεμα|tr=ánthema]].^(BDAG 2000)^(CGL 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The oldest examples, an inscription from Epidaurus of the 4th century BC and epigrams of Callimachus and Theocritus, use it for a votive offering set up for a god.^(DGE)^(CGL 2021)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the Septuagint it renders Hebrew ''ḥerem'', what is devoted to God and so withdrawn from human use, especially the spoil and the people of a city given over to destruction; from this it came to mean an accursed thing.^(Lust 2003)^(DGE)^(BDAG 2000) Paul uses it of persons: ''anathema estō'', “let him be accursed”, and he could wish himself accursed and cut off from Christ.^(BDAG 2000)^(DGE) A curse tablet from Megara of the 1st or 2nd century AD uses it for a curse.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+

+ In Christian Greek it became the formal excommunication of heretics, and in medieval vernacular Greek a common curse.^(Kriaras)^(Triantafyllidis 1998) Latin borrowed it as [[m|la|anathema]].^(Wiktionary) Modern Greek [[m|el|ανάθεμα|tr=anáthema]] is both the church's ban and an everyday oath, as in “damn the hour”.^(Triantafyllidis 1998)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 4th century BC – An inscription from Epidaurus uses it for a votive offering.^(DGE)

+ * 4th–3rd century BC – Callimachus and Theocritus use the form ''ἄνθεμα'' in dedicatory epigrams.^(DGE)^(CGL 2021)

+ * 3rd–1st century BC – The Septuagint uses it for what is devoted to destruction.^(Lust 2003)^(DGE)

+ * 1st century AD – Paul uses ''anathema estō'', “let him be accursed”.^(BDAG 2000)

+ * 1st–2nd century AD – A curse tablet from Megara uses it for a curse.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 12th–17th century – Vernacular Greek uses it for excommunication and as a curse.^(Kriaras)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|votive]] offering, anything dedicated to a god.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(Septuagint)'' Something devoted to God for destruction; an accursed thing.^(Lust 2003)^(LSJ 1940)

+ # ''(New Testament)'' An accursed person.^(BDAG 2000)^(LSJ 1940)

+ # A [[m|en|curse]]; a vow under a curse.^(DGE)^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(Christian)'' [[m|en|excommunication]].^(Triantafyllidis 1998)^(Kriaras)

+ # A kind of cake.^(DGE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ἀναθεματίζω|tr=anathematízō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ἀνάθημα|tr=anáthēma]]

+ * [[ἀνατίθημι|tr=anatíthēmi]]

+ * [[τίθημι|tr=títhēmi]]

+ * [[la|anathema]]

+ * [[en|anathema]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}