gospel English · revision 6973

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 950}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɡɒspəl/ ''(UK)''; /ˈɡɑspəl/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|ang|gōdspel|t=good news]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from [[m|ang|gōd|t=good]] and [[m|ang|spel|t=story, message]] (see [[spell]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) a translation of ecclesiastical Latin bona annuntiatio, itself a translation of Greek [[m|grc|εὐαγγέλιον|tr=euangélion|t=good news]] (see [[evangel]]).^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998)^(MWU 2024) The first vowel was originally long, but it shifted by mistaken association with God, as if a “God-story”.^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) The word passed early to the continental Germanic languages with God as its first element, as in Old Saxon godspell.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The good tidings of the kingdom of God announced by Christ: about 950 in the OED, about 750, in Cynewulf's ''Elene'', in Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ One of the four books of the evangelists is from about 1200, and the portion of a gospel read at the Eucharist from about 1000.^(OED 1989)^(Hoad 1986) Something as true as the gospel is from the 13th century, and a doctrine to swear by from the 17th.^(Hoad 1986) Protestants identified it with their own system of belief from 1552.^(OED 1989) [[gospel music|alt=Gospel music]], a fervent style of African-American evangelical religious music, is recorded as ''gospel'' from 1956.^(OED 1989)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 950 – the good tidings of Christ.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1000 – the Gospel reading.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1200 – one of the four books.^(OED 1989)

+ * 13th century – absolute truth.^(Hoad 1986)

+ * 1956 – gospel music.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The teaching or revelation of [[Christ]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(Gospel)'' Any of the first four books of the New Testament, or a reading from one.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Something accepted as absolutely true: ''took it as gospel''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A principle or set of beliefs that someone promotes eagerly.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A fervent style of African-American religious music.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[gospelly]]

+ * [[gospeler]]

+ * [[nongospel]]

+ * [[Social Gospel]]

+ * [[gospel music]]

+ * [[gospel side]]

+ * [[gospel truth]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[evangel]]

+ * [[evangelist]]

+ * [[spell]]

+ * [[good]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}