spiritual English · revision 5480

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1300|origins=la spīritus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈspɪr.ɪ.tʃu.əl/, /ˈspɪr.ɪ.tju.əl/, US /ˈspɪr.ɪ.tʃu.əl/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|spirituel]], [[bor|fro|spirituel]] and directly from Medieval Latin spīrituālis,^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from [[la|spīrituālis|t=of breath, of the spirit]], from [[m|la|spīritus|t=breath, spirit]].^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)^(NODE 1998) See [[spirit]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Of the spirit, immaterial, especially in religion, and of the church: about 1300 in Etymonline.^(Etymonline) The OED's first quotation for the sacred or ecclesiastical sense is from 1338.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Concerning the spirit or higher moral qualities is from 1377,^(OED 1989) and originating with God from the late 14th century.^(Etymonline) Devotional songs are called spiritual from 1382.^(OED 1989) The noun was a cleric in the mid-15th century and a spiritual person in the 1530s;^(Etymonline) the African American religious song is from 1866.^(Etymonline) A ''spiritual home'', with no religious meaning, is from 1932.^(OED 1989) Old English had godcundlic for “spiritual”.^(Etymonline) In Hampshire dialect spiritual meant angry.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1300 – of the spirit; of the church.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 14th century – coming from God.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1382 – of sacred songs.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1866 – an African American religious song.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1932 – ''spiritual home''.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of or relating to the human [[spirit]] or [[soul]], not to physical things.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Of or relating to religion or the church; sacred.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Having a deep interest in spiritual things rather than material ones.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A religious song of African American origin.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[spiritually]]

+ * [[spiritualness]]

+ * [[antispiritual]]

+ * [[antispiritualism]]

+ * [[spiritualism]]

+ * [[spiritualist]]

+ * [[spirituality]]

+ * [[nonspiritual]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[spiritous]]

+ * [[spirituous]]

+ * [[spirit]]

+ * [[inspire]]

+ * [[respiration]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}