kama

The place of kāma or the pursuit of love and pleasure in the balanced Hindu scheme of life derives from the importance attached to the life of the married householder (grhastha).

1958, V. Raghavan, “Chapter XII: Kāma, The Third End of Man”, in Stephen N Hay, William Theodore De Bary, editors, Sources of Indian Tradition, volume 2, page 258:

Ancient Indian thought divides the principal aims of human existence into dharma (religion, morality, social obligations), artha (economics, politics, power), and kāma (erotic pleasure, sexual interaction, sexual gratification).

2006, “Indian Erotology”, in Alan Soble, editor, Sex from Plato to Paglia: A Philosophical Encyclopedia, Volume 1: A-L, page 493:

(Hinduism) The act or process of wishing; longing, desire (with or without sexual connotations); one of the goals of life in Hindu tradition.


John the Baptist

From Middle English Johan þe Babtis, from Latin Iōannēs Baptista.

In those daies came Iohn the Baptist, preaching in the wildernesse of Iudea, And saying, Repent yee: for the kingdome of heauen is at hand.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 3:1–2:

A New Testament prophet who baptized Jesus and was subsequently executed by Herod Antipas.


shrine

From Middle English shryne, from Old English scrīn (“reliquary, ark of the covenant”), from Medieval Latin scrīnium (“reliquary”), “case or chest for books or papers” in Classical Latin. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to turn, bend”). Compare Old Norse skrín, Old High German skrīni (German Schrein).

der

Entering the tunnel, we pass a small shrine above our heads which contains a statue of St Barbara, the patron saint of tunnellers. It is traditional to have such shrines on every tunnel site.

2022 March 23, Paul Bigland, “HS2 is just 'passing through'”, in RAIL, number 953, page 41:

A holy or sacred place dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, or similar figure of awe and respect, at which said figure is venerated or worshipped.

shenjtë

a holy place dedicated to a specific figure of respect


Mary

→ Cantonese: Mary

→ Cebuano: Mary, Marie

→ Danish: Mary

→ Faroese: Marý

→ Hawaiian: Mele, Mere

→ Japanese: マリー (Marī)

desc

→ Mandarin: 瑪麗／玛丽 (Mǎlì), 瑪莉／玛莉 (Mǎlì), 瑪利／玛利 (Mǎlì)

→ Manx: Mayree

→ Maori: Mere, Meri

→ Norwegian: Mary

→ Scottish Gaelic: Màiri

→ Swedish: Mary

→ Tahitian: Mere

→ Tok Pisin: meri

→ Thai: แมรี (mɛɛ-rii)

From Middle English Marie, from Old French Marie, from Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from Aramaic מַרְיָם (maryām) or Biblical Hebrew מִרְיָם (miryām), of uncertain meaning (see the Hebrew entry for more). Doublet of Miriam, Marie, Maria, and Mariah.

Maria

Mary, mother of Jesus — see also Madonna, Mother of God, Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, Saint Mary, Theotokos, Virgin Mary
Note: Translations for Mary's various titles and appellations should go in the respective entries.

Now the birth of Jeſus Chriſt was on this wiſe: When as his mother Mary was eſpouſed to Joſeph (before they came together) ſhee was found with childe of the holy Ghoſt.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 1:18, column 2:

(religion) The mother of Jesus, believed in Christianity and Islam to have been a virgin at his birth, and believed by some Christians to have been born herself without sin, to have ascended to Heaven without death, and to act as a sympathetic intermediary for believers.

(biblical) Any of several other women in the New Testament, notably:

And Jeſus anſwered, and ſaide vnto her, Martha, Martha, thou art carefull, and troubled about many things: But one thing is needefull, and Mary hath choſen that good part, which ſhall not bee taken away from her.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 10:41–42, column 1:

Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha.

(Islam) The 19th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an, recounting the events leading up to the birth of Jesus.

(Ireland, dated) A male middle name, given in honour of the Virgin Mary.

Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary


godfather

From Middle English godfader, from Old English godfæder (“godfather”), equivalent to god- + father. Cognate with Old Saxon godfadar (“godfather”), Middle Dutch godvader (“godfather”), Danish gudfader, gudfar (“godfather”), Swedish gudfader, gudfar (“godfather”), Icelandic guðfaðir (“godfather”).

(Christianity) A man present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner; a male godparent who sponsors the baptism of a child.

krstný otec

reflects his relationship to the baptized child

kmotor

reflects his relationship to the parents of the baptized child


proselytize

en-verb

proselytize (third-person singular simple present proselytizes, present participle proselytizing, simple past and past participle proselytized)

proselytizes (present singular third-person)
proselytizing (participle present)
proselytized (participle past)
proselytized (past)

传教

chuán jiào; ㄔㄨㄢˊㄐㄧㄠˋ

He has strong political views, and an annoying habit of proselytizing at parties.

Previously I promised not to proselytize miserism, but now I want to renege a little on that promise. If your family income is anywhere near average, you can scrimp and save and cut back for maybe two to four years […]

2010, Dolly Freed, Possum Living, page 149:

(by extension, transitive, intransitive) To advertise a non-religious belief, way of living, cause, point of view, (scientific) hypothesis, social or other position, political party, or other organization; to convince someone to join such a cause or organization or support such a position; to recruit someone.


Sodom

Partially from Old English Sodome, Sodoma, partially from Ancient Greek Σόδομα (Sódoma), from the Biblical Hebrew סְדֹם (s'dóm).
(Wadham College): Chosen for the rhyme.

(biblical, Quranic) A city in the Middle East which, according to the Bible and Islamic tradition, but not specifically named in the Qur'an, was destroyed by God (along with Gomorrah) for the sins of its inhabitants.


victim

From Middle French victime, from Latin victima (“sacrificial animal”).

slagoffer

one who is harmed by a disaster or other adverse circumstance

slagoffer

a living being slain and offered as a sacrifice

A living being which is slain and offered as a sacrifice, usually in a religious rite.

(by extension, Christianity) The transfigured body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist.


apostate

From Late Latin apostata, from Ancient Greek ἀποστάτης (apostátēs, “rebel”), from ἀφίστημι (aphístēmi, “to withdraw, revolt”), from ἀπό (apó, “from”) + ἵστημι (hístēmi, “to stand”).

der

A person who has renounced a religion or faith.

مُرْتَدّ

person who renounces a religion or faith

(Roman Catholicism) One who, after having received sacred orders, renounces his clerical profession.


Serapis

Borrowed from Latin Serāpis, from Ancient Greek Σάρᾱπις (Sárāpis), from Egyptian wsjr-ḥp, from wsjr (“Osiris”) + ḥp (“Apis”).

A Graeco-Egyptian god devised during the 3rd century BC as a means to unify the Greeks and Egyptians in the realm of Ptolemy I.


Togarmah

From Biblical Hebrew תּוֹגַרְמָה (tōḡarmā).

They of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules.

(biblical) A grandson of Japheth in the Old Testament; traditional ancestor of Armenians, sometimes also of Georgians.


Peter

en-proper noun

Peter (countable and uncountable, plural Peters)

From Middle English Peter, from Old English Petrus, from Latin Petrus, from Ancient Greek Πέτρος (Pétros), from πέτρος (pétros, “stone, rock”). Doublet of Pedro, Piers, and Boutros.

(biblical) The epistles of Peter in the New Testament of the Bible, 1 Peter and 2 Peter attributed to St. Peter.


plenary

en-adj

plenary (comparative more plenary, superlative most plenary)

more plenary (comparative)
most plenary (superlative)

From Middle English plenarie, plenarye, from Late Latin plēnārius, from Latin plēnus (“full”).

The method of treating a subject should be plenary or full.

1725, Isaac Watts, Logick: Or, The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry after Truth, […], 2nd edition, London: […] John Clark and Richard Hett, […], Emanuel Matthews, […], and Richard Ford, […], published 1726, →OCLC:

(theology or law) Complete; full; entire; absolute.


seder

en-noun

seder (plural seders or sedarim or sidarim or siddarim)

seders (plural)
sedarim (plural)
sidarim (plural)
siddarim (plural)

Borrowed from Hebrew סדר (seder, “order”).

On the same day, the State of Israel celebrated its first Passover seder and the United Nations, still meeting in those days at Flushing Meadow in Queens, voted to consider the Jewish state's application for membership.

2010, Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22, Atlantic, published 2011, page 332:

(Judaism) The ceremonial meal held on the first night or two nights of Passover.

seder

ceremonial meal held on the first night of Passover

(Judaism) One of the 54 parts into which the Torah is divided.


Ravana

(Hinduism) The king of the asuras, ruler of Lanka and killed by Rama in Ramayana.


Adam

From Middle English Adam, from Old English Adam, from Latin Adam, Adamus, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), Ἄδαμος (Ádamos), from Biblical Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”), from אדמה (adamah, “red earth, ground”).

And Adam called his wiues name Eue, because she was the mother of all liuing.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 3:20:

Say Goddeſs, what enſu'd when Raphael, / The affable Arch-angel, had forewarn'd / Adam by dire example to beware / Apoſtaſie,

1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 40–43:

(Abrahamism, religion) The first man and the progenitor of the human race.

And so it is written: The first man Adam was made a liuing soule, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 15:45:

Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.

1739, Charles Wesley, Hark! the Herald Angels Sing:

(with second or last) Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice, in Christian theology, makes possible the forgiveness of Adam's original sin.


Saul

From Hebrew שָׁאוּל (shaúl, “asked for”). Doublet of Silas, which derived from Aramaic.

And it came to paſſe, when the euill ſpirit from God was vpon Saul, that Dauid tooke an harpe, and played with his hand: So Saul was refreſhed, and was well, and the euill ſpirit departed from him.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Samuel 16:23, column 2:

(biblical) The first king of Israel in the Old Testament.

Then Saul (who alſo is called Paul) filled with the holy Ghoſt, ſet his eyes on him

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 13:9, column 2:

(Christianity) The Hebrew name of Apostle Paul in the New Testament.


archabbot

(ecclesiastical) In certain Catholic (notably Benedictine) congregations, the title of the general superior, ranking above all other abbots, vested in a particular abbey, which hence is called an archabbey (usually its motherhouse, such as Beuron, which gave its name to a Benedictine congregation).

aartsabt

the title of the general superior in certain Catholic congregations


Hanuman

A Hindu demi-god who was a devotee of Lord Rama. He was born to Anjana and Vayu, plays the role of a god’s servant in Ramayana, and is also known as the "monkey god". He represents loyalty to the Lord and Master.


pastoral

/ˌpæsˈtɔːɹəl/

From Middle French, Old French pastoral, from Latin pāstōrālis, from pāstor (“shepherd”), + adjective suffix -ālis.

(religion, Christianity) A letter of a pastor to his charge; specifically, a letter addressed by a bishop to his diocese.

(religion, Christianity) A letter of the House of Bishops, to be read in each parish.


downpressor

Blend of down + oppressor, with down replacing op (which is how up sounds in Jamaican patois).


downstroy

en-verb

downstroy (third-person singular simple present downstroys, present participle downstroying, simple past and past participle downstroyed)

downstroys (present singular third-person)
downstroying (participle present)
downstroyed (participle past)
downstroyed (past)

Blend of down + destroy. Compare downpressor.


Charon

Charon
Charon (disambiguation)
Charon (moon)
Edmond Hamilton
NASA

From Ancient Greek Χάρων (Khárōn). The name of the moon was coined by American astronomer James W. Christy in 1978, in reference to a fictional moon of Pluto in a novel by Edmond Hamilton but also influenced by its similarity to Char, a pet name for Charlene, his wife's name — hence the alternative American pronunciation, which is used at NASA.

coin

(Greek mythology) The ferryman of Hades, who rowed the shades of the dead across the river Styx.


creationist

A proponent or supporter of creationism.


creationist

en-adj

creationist (comparative more creationist, superlative most creationist)

more creationist (comparative)
most creationist (superlative)


chuppah

en-noun

chuppah (plural chuppahs or chuppot or chuppoth)

chuppahs (plural)
chuppot (plural)
chuppoth (plural)

bor

חופה \ חֻפָּה

Hebrew חופה \ חֻפָּה (ḥuppâ)

The dveykut that accompanied the groom as he walked down the aisle to the chupah was truly inspirational.

2017, Velvel Pasternak, Behind the Music, Stories, Anecdotes, Articles and Reflections, page 116:

Everyone was standing under a kind of thatched chuppa. Parts of the concrete structure still stained wet from the day before.

2020, Emily Segal, Mercury Retrograde, New York: Deluge Books, →ISBN:

(Judaism) The canopy over a Jewish couple during their marriage ceremony.

(Judaism, figuratively) A marriage ceremony, wedding.


brownie

en-noun

brownie (countable and uncountable, plural brownies)

→ Belarusian: бра́ўні (bráŭni)

→ Chinese: 布朗尼 (bùlǎngní)

→ French: brownie

→ German: Brownie

→ Hungarian: brownie

→ Irish: donnóg (calque)

→ Italian: brownie

→ Japanese: ブラウニー (buraunī)

→ Lithuanian: braunis

→ Norwegian Nynorsk: brownie

→ Polish: brownie

→ Portuguese: brownie

→ Russian: бра́уни (bráuni)

→ Kazakh: брауни (brauni)

→ Spanish: brownie

→ Thai: บราวนี (bpraao-níi)

→ Turkish: brownie, browni, brovni

→ Welsh: browni

From brown + -ie (diminutive suffix). In folkloric sense, originally Scots.

(paganism) A household spirit or revered ancestor.


Ragnarok

/ˈɹæɡ.nəˌɹɒk/

/ˈɹæɡ.nəˌɹɔk/

Borrowed from Old Norse ragnarǫk (modern Icelandic ragnarök), from regin (“gods”) + rǫk (“fate, judgment”).

Wilhelmina weeps, now and then, with her good Sonsfeld; hopes nevertheless there will be some dawn to this ragnarök, or general ‘twilight of the gods.’

1858, Thomas Carlyle, chapter VIII, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume II, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book VII, page 274:

And all that is before them and the whole civilised world, would be long centuries of anarchy such as the world has not seen for ages—a true Ragnarok, a twilight of the very gods, an age such as the wise woman foretold in the old Voluspà.

1902, Charles Kingsley, “Ancient Civilisation”, in Historical Lectures and Essays, Macmillan and Co.:

But this heaven was not to last forever. Some day would come Ragnarok, or the Twilight of the Gods, when all creation would be destroyed, and all the Gods and men save Alfadur perish. Surtur, after killing the last of these Gods, would burn up the world.

1916 February, H. P. Lovecraft, “The Teuton's Battle-Song”, in United Amateur:

(Norse mythology) A series of future events culminating in a battle, fought between the Æsir and einherjar on one side, and the forces of Surtr, Loki, and Loki's children on the other, in which all of creation is burned down and almost all life is extinguished.


stake

From Middle English stake, from Old English staca (“pin, tack, stake”), from Proto-Germanic *stakô (“stake”), from Proto-Indo-European *stog-, *steg- (“stake”). Cognate with Scots stak, staik, Saterland Frisian Stak, West Frisian staak, Dutch staak, Low German Stake, Norwegian stake.

Every city, or stake, including a chief town and surrounding towns, has its president, with two counselors; and this president has a high council of chosen men.

1910, Schaff–Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge:

(Mormonism) A territorial division comprising all the Mormons (typically several thousand) in a geographical area.


apostle

From Middle English apostle, from Old French apostle, from Late Latin apostolus, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (apóstolos, “one sent forth, apostle”). Merged with Old English apostol, borrowing from the same Latin source.

der

A top-ranking ecclesiastical official in the twelve seat administrative council of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


zombie

First attested in 1871.
From a Bantu language. Compare Kongo nzambi (“god”), zumbi (“fetish”), and Kimbundu nzumbi (“ghost”) (see Portuguese zumbi), and Caribbean folklore's jumbee (“a spirit or demon”).
Origin from Spanish sombra (“shadow, phantom”) has also been suggested.
May have come through Louisiana Creole [Term?]. See also French zombi (1832).

Betsy Connell: I don't know about zombies, doctor. Just what is a zombie? / Dr. Maxwell: A ghost. A living dead. It's also a drink.

1943, Curt Siodmak, Ardel Wray, I Walked with a Zombie (motion picture):

The zombies were having fun
The party had just begun
The guests included Wolf-Man, Dracula, and his son.

1962, “Monster Mash”, Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Lenny Capizzi (lyrics), performed by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers:

Ashley: Dad passed on a few years back. He's probably still watching, though.
Shepard: He's not a zombie, is he?

2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: SSV Normandy:

The zombies first show up 20 minutes in, after Melanie volunteers herself as the next child to mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night. That’s when we learn that Melanie and her classmates are all “hungries,” or people infected with a toxic fungus that turns them into mindless flesh-eating animals.

2017 February 23, Katie Rife, “The Girl With All The Gifts tries to put a fresh spin on overripe zombie clichés”, in The Onion AV Club:

(voodoo, horror) A person, usually undead, animated by unnatural forces (such as magic), with no soul or will of his or her own.


James

en-proper noun

James (countable and uncountable, plural Jameses)

⇒ English: Jim (diminutive)

⇒ English: Jimmy, Jimmie, Jimmi, Jimi (diminutive)

⇒ English: Jimbo (diminutive)

→ Hindi: जिम्बो (jimbo)

→ Hawaiian: Kimo

⇒ English: Jem (diminutive)

⇒ English: Jemmy (diminutive)

⇒ English: Jamie, Jamey (diminutive)

⇒ English: Jay (diminutive)

desc

→ Chinese: → 詹姆斯 (Zhānmǔsī) (transliteration)

→ Cornish: Jammes, Jamma

→ Danish: James

→ Fijian: Semesa

→ Icelandic: James

desctree

→ Irish: Séamas, Séamus, Seumas
→ English: Seamus, Shamus

→ Manx: Jayms

→ Maori: Hemi

→ Samoan: Semisi

→ Scottish Gaelic: Seumas
→ English: Hamish

→ Swedish: James

→ Welsh: Siâms

The English New Testament form of Jacob, from Middle English James, from Old French James, from Vulgar Latin Iacomus, spoken and altered pronunciation of Latin Iacobus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Ἰακώβ (Iakṓb), from Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿăqōḇ). Doublet of Jacques, Jacob, Iago, Jago, Yago, Hamish, Seamus, and Santiago. In reference to the Ecuadorian island, a modification of the earlier name Duke of York's Island after its eponymous duke's coronation as James II of England.
See Occitan Jacme for an intermediary between Old French James and Catalan Jaume.

der

Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿăqōḇ)

doublet

(biblical) The twentieth book of the New Testament of the Bible, the general epistle of James.


protocol

en-noun

protocol (countable and uncountable, plural protocols)

/ˈpɹəʊtəˌkɒl/

Borrowed from Middle French protocolle, protocole (“document, record”), from Late Latin protocollum (“the first sheet of a volume (on which contents and errata were written)”), from Byzantine Greek πρωτόκολλον (prōtókollon, “first sheet glued onto a manuscript”), from πρῶτος (prôtos, “first”) + κόλλα (kólla, “glue”). Doublet of collage, collagen, and colloid.

doublet

This protocol of the Preface has been constant, with minor modification, from the Apostolic Tradition, of Hippolytus in 215 A.D., the earliest extant text of the Eucharistic Prayer, to the present 2002 Missale Romanum.

2010, Virgilio T.J. Suerte Felipe, The Lord’s Supper, Eucharist, Mass… What’s in a Name? […], →ISBN, pages 45–46:

The proper Preface for Eucharistic Prayer II also appears as Common Preface VI. In it, the protocol and body of the Preface structure are meshed.

2011, Michael S. Driscoll, J. Michael Joncas, The Order of Mass: A Roman Missal Study Edition and Workbook, →ISBN, page 213:

The celebrant then takes up this response in the first part of the preface itself (also known by the technical term ‘protocol’): […]

[2022, Uwe Michael Lang, The Roman Mass: From Early Christian Origins to Tridentine Reform, →ISBN, page 140:

(Roman Catholicism) The introduction of a liturgical preface, immediately following the Sursum corda dialogue.


paganism

en-noun

paganism (countable and uncountable, plural paganisms)

From Latin pāgānismus (“heathenism”), from pāgānus (“peasant, rural, rustic”). The term was used pejoratively by early Muslims and Christians to belittle what remained of the native religions. By surface analysis, pagan + -ism.

idhujtari

local religions practiced before the introduction of Christianity

Most people in that region practise their own form of paganism.


yarmulke

Borrowed from Yiddish יאַרמלקע (yarmlke), from Polish jarmułka (“skullcap”).

And I always feel uncomfortable during the High Holy Days watching people in yarmulkes rushing through the streets, knowing they’ll be swaying and moaning something ancient and indecipherable, even to me.

1991 October 1, Richard Goldstein, “The New Anti-Semitism: A Geshrei”, in Village Voice, page 33:

But once Dr. Levenson, who works for the Indian Health Service and wears a colorful tapestry yarmulke, has alerted the tiny network, it almost seems as if we have stepped into Yiddishland.

2007 April 29, Patricia Cohen, “The Frozen Dozen”, in New York Times:

(Judaism) A skullcap worn by religious Jewish males (especially during prayer).


Leah

And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well-favoured.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 29:16-17::

(biblical) The elder daughter of Laban, sister to Rachel, and first wife of Jacob.


Jacob

From Middle English Iacob, from Late Latin Iācōbus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Biblical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ, literally “he will/shall heel”), from עָקֵב (ʿāqēḇ, “heel”). Doublet of James.

der

And the boyes grew; and Eſau was a cunning hunter, a man of the fielde: and Iacob was a plaine man, dwelling in tents.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 25:27, column 2:

(biblical) One of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca, and twin brother of Esau; father of the Israelites (Jews and Samaritans) by 12 sons by 4 consorts, most famously Judah and Joseph who fathered Manasseh; was renamed to Israel.


atheist

From Middle French athéiste (athée + -iste), from Latin atheos, from Ancient Greek ἄθεος (átheos, “godless, without god”), from ἀ- (a-, “without”) + θεός (theós, “god”).

ateïs

a person who believes with certainty that no deities exist

Ageine, the Atheistes, which say in their hartes there is no God; […]

1571 October 20, Arthur Golding, “The Epistle Dedicatory”, in Psalmes of Dauid and others, with M. John Caluin's Commentaries:

An atheist, like a Christian, holds that we can know whether or not there is a God. The Christian holds that we can know there is a God; the atheist, that we can know there is not.

1953 November 3, Bertrand Russell, “What is an Agnostic?”, in Look:

(religion) A person who does not believe in deities or gods.

(strictly) A person who is certain that no deities exist or who thinks that the existence of deities can be disproven.

Minister—Are you really an Atheist?
Atheist—Yes.
M.—Do you deny that there is a god?
A.—No. I deny that there is sufficient reason to believe there is one. There may be a god, but I think it rather unlikely.

1843, G. J. Holyoake, “A Reciprocal Dialogue”, in Thomas Paterson, editors, The Oracle of Reason, Or, Philosophy Vindicated, volume 2, number 64, page 89:

Very low probability, but short of zero. De facto atheist. ‘I cannot know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there.’

2006 September 18, Richard Dawkins, “The God Hypothesis”, in The God Delusion, 1st Am. edition, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OL, LCC BL2775.3.D39 2006, page 51:

(broadly) A person who doubts the existence of deities (therefore, an agnostic may be considered an atheist).

ateïs

a person who doubts the existence of deities — see also agnostic

All children are born Atheists; they have no idea of God. Are they then criminal on account of their ignorance?

1772, Good Sense without God: Or Freethoughts Opposed to Supernatural Ideas, London: W. Stewart, translation of Le Bon-Sens, ou, Idées Naturelles opposées aux Idées Surnaturelles by Paul Henry Thiry baron d'Holbach, published 2004, §30, page 21:

(very broadly) Any person lacking belief in deities (including children who are unaware of religion).

Atheists. One who does not believe in the existence of a Supreme Being, an atheist, is incompetent as a witness, being incapable of being sworn. […] Changed by Acts of 1851, No. 12 (P. S. 1593), under which, no question can be raised as to a witness's "opinions on matters of religious belief."

1910, The Vermont Digest 1789-1905, volume 2, Burlington: Free Press Printing Co:

Malice and prejudice concurred in representing the Christians as a society of atheists, who, by the most daring attack on the religious constitution of the empire, had merited the severest animadversion of the civil magistrate.

1840, Edward Gibbon, chapter 16, in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, new edition, volume 1, page 183:

An atheist is just somebody who feels about Yahweh the way any decent Christian feels about Thor or Baal or the golden calf. As has been said before, we are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.

2002 February, Richard Dawkins, Richard Dawkins on militant atheism, via TED:

Throughout history, atheists were simply people who did not believe the prevalent God of the day. For the sun-worshippers, Christians were atheists. For Jewish people, Christians were atheists. Whoever does not believe in your God is by definition, an atheist. […] With all the countless Gods concocted by man, I claim that my Christian friends and I have something in common. We are all atheists, I just believe in one less God than they.

2009, Lyndon Lamborn, Standing For Something More: The Excommunication of Lyndon Lamborn, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 171:

(uncommon) A person who does not believe in a particular deity (but may believe in another deity).

This is one of the strongest Grounds of Suspicion to me, and assures me that he has very little Regard to Religion in general; that he can pretend to marry you, and know nothing whether you are a Heathen or Christian; an Atheist or religious Person, a Papist or a Protestant; the Man can have no great Value for Religion, that is so little concerned whether his Wife has any, or no; for I take the Thing to weigh as much on one Side as on the other, where there is any serious Confideration at Bottom.

1766, Daniel Defoe, Religious Courtship..., 9th edition, London, page 170:

For instance, in Morocco, while a Muslim man is free to marry a non-Muslim woman, provided she is Christian or Jewish, but not Buddhist, Hindu or Atheist, a Muslim woman is only supposed to marry a Muslim man.

2002 January 1, Anne-Marie De Mejía, Power, Prestige, and Bilingualism: International Perspectives on Elite Bilingual Education, Multilingual Matters, →ISBN, page 63:

Since radio and TV started playing Atheists Like Me, the lead song in the album, Huang's record company has received more than 100 phone calls protesting the content of the new song, the local China Times newspaper reported.[…]
It's not clear who has been offended by the tune, but most Taiwanese are Buddhists or Daoists. A small number are Christians, Muslims and atheists.

2006 December 24, “‘Atheist’ hip-hop track causes a religious stir”, in Taipei Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2007-01-25, Taiwan News, page 2:

In her chapter, “Freedom of and Freedom from Religion: Atheist Involvement in Legal Cases,” Lori G. Beaman presents her reflections on the various claims made by atheists in the legal arena, such as the objection to prayers in municipal[…]

2014 December 4, Lori G. Beaman, Steven Tomlins, Atheist Identities - Spaces and Social Contexts, Springer, →ISBN, page 8:

20 “We just need to get rid of religion,” atheist author and entertainer Penn Jillette has said. Many atheists agree, as you can tell from the popularity of antireligion books such as Christopher Hitchens's God Is Not Great.

2015 March 10, David Seidman, What If I'm an Atheist?: A Teen's Guide to Exploring a Life Without Religion, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 149:

The legal image of the atheist constructed by these cases implies that the atheist or religious none is unworthy of voice and indeed of citizenship, that they are not part of the history of the nation, and that they are therefore unable to contribute to the public discussion about religion or its place in the public sphere.

2015, L.G. Beaman, “Freedom of and Freedom from Religion: Atheist Involvement in Legal Cases”, in Lori G. Beaman, Steven Tomlins, editors, Atheist Identities - Spaces and Social Contexts, Springer, page 50:

Moreover, we also know that an atheist or agnostic is statistically more likely to be autistic than neurotypical and a religious believer is statistically more likely to be neurotypical than autistic.

2019, Kelly James Clark, God and the Brain: The Rationality of Belief, page 219:

(sometimes proscribed) A person who does not believe in any religion (not even a religion without gods); a nonreligious person.


atheist

en-adj

atheist (comparative more atheist, superlative most atheist)

more atheist (comparative)
most atheist (superlative)

He would have been seven times more Epicure and atheist than he was.

c. 16th-17th century, “Francis Bacon”, in Of Unity in Religion:

God! That majestic name is in the pledge. In doing this the government has already made clear that our country believes in God! We are the majority! Our nation is not Buddhist, not Hinduist, not Atheist, and the list goes on!

2007 December 1, R. D. Richardson, Violence in the Urban Schools!: What Would You Do?, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, page 81:

Of or relating to atheists or atheism; atheistic.


apocalypse

From Middle English apocalips, from Latin apocalypsis, from Ancient Greek ἀποκάλυψις (apokálupsis, “revelation”), literally meaning "uncovering", from ἀπό (apó, “back, away from”) and καλύπτω (kalúptō, “I cover”). The sense evolution to "catastrophe, end of the world" stems from the depiction of such events in the biblical Book of Revelation, also called the Apocalypse of (i.e. Revelation to) John.

der

The early development of Perl 6 was punctuated by a series of apocalypses by Larry Wall.

A revelation, especially of supernatural events.

(Christianity) The unveiling of events prophesied in the Revelation; the second coming and the end of life on Earth; global destruction.


creator

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-creator.wav

From Middle English creatour, from Old French creator, creatur, creatour, from Latin creātor, agent noun from perfect passive participle creātus (“created”), from verb creō (“I create”) + agent suffix -or. Mostly displaced native Old English wyrhta (modern English wright).

(religion, sometimes capitalized) The deity that created the world.


Rachel

From Late Latin Rāchēl, from Ancient Greek Ῥαχήλ (Rhakhḗl), from Biblical Hebrew רָחֵל (rāḫēl, “ewe”). Doublet of Raquel.

And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 29:16–18:

(biblical) Younger daughter of Laban, sister to Leah, and second wife of Jacob.


Miriam

From Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryam), possibly from Aramaic מרים (Maryām, “bitter”), from a root מר (m-r) meaning "to be bitter". The meaning of this name which is the Old Testament equivalent of Mary has been debated for centuries. Some other explanations are mutiny / rebellion / disobedience from a root מרי (m-r-y).

And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 15:20:

(biblical) The sister of Moses and Aaron and the daughter of Amram and Jochebed.


chorus

en-noun

chorus (plural choruses or (dated) chorusses or (rare) chori)

choruses (plural)
chorusses (dated plural)
chori (plural rare)

The noun is borrowed from Medieval Latin chorus (“church choir”), Latin chorus (“group of dancers and singers; dance”), from Ancient Greek χορός (khorós, “group of dancers and singers, choir, chorus; dance accompanied by song; round dance”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- (“to encircle, enclose”) or *ǵʰoros. Doublet of choir and hora.
The plural form chori is from Latin chorī, from Ancient Greek χοροί (khoroí).
The verb is derived from the noun.

der

(Christianity) A simple, often repetitive, song intended to be sung in a group during informal worship.


recapitulation

en-noun

recapitulation (countable and uncountable, plural recapitulations)

re·kə·pĭ·chə·lāʹshən

From Anglo-Norman recapitulaciun et al., Middle French recapitulacion et al., or their source, from Late Latin recapitulatio (“summing up, summary”), from the participle stem of recapitulare (“recapitulate”), from re- + capitulum (“chapter, section”), diminutive of caput (“head”).

der

one would expect God's final purpose to be expressed in his created world, since the doctrine of recapitulation showed that this is where his plans had worked out before.

2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 144:

(theology) The symmetry provided by Christ's life to the teachings of the Old Testament; the summation of human experience in Jesus Christ.


autonomy

en-noun

autonomy (countable and uncountable, plural autonomies)

Borrowed from Ancient Greek αὐτονομῐ́ᾱ (autonomíā, “freedom to use its own laws, independence”), from αὐτόνομος (autónomos, “living under one's own laws, independent”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-íā, “-y, -ia”, nominal suffix). By surface analysis, auto- (“self”) + -nomy (“a system of rules or laws about a particular field”).

surf

(Christianity, uncountable) The status of a church whose highest-ranking bishop is appointed by the patriarch of the mother church, but which is self-governing in all other respects. Compare autocephaly.


pentagram

From Ancient Greek πεντάγραμμον (pentágrammon), noun form of the adjectives πεντάγραμμος (pentágrammos) and πεντέγραμμος (pentégrammos, “five-lined, having five lines”). Equivalent to penta- + -gram.

der

πεντάγραμμον

Prove that the circles so belonging to the 6 pentagrams formed by 6 lines meet in a point, and so on; the series of theorems being interminable.

1871, W. J. C. Miller, editor, Mathematical Questions and Solutions, volume XV, page 47:

The passive pentagrams of spirit are drawn first in the quarters of the passive elements—water and earth—and likewise followed by the appropriate traditional elemental pentagram.

2007, Christopher Penczak, The Temple of High Witchcraft: Ceremonies, Spheres, and the Witches' Qabalah, page 345:

Four figures involve 12 pentagrams arranged as in the faces of a dodecahedron with their vertices touching.

2012, John Barnes, Gems of Geometry, page 59:

The shape of a five-pointed star constructed of five intersecting lines meeting at the vertices, such that a central pentagon and five surrounding isosceles triangles are formed; often with magical connotations; a 5/2 (or 5/3) star polygon.


ritual

en-noun

ritual (countable and uncountable, plural rituals)

From Latin adjective rītuālis, from noun rītus (“rite”), + adjective suffix -ālis.

The priests carried out the religious ritual carefully.

Despite their good intentions, family members who participate in OCD rituals help reinforce the problem.

2017, Christine Honders, OCD: The Struggle with Obsessions and Compulsions, page 44:

A rite; a repeated set of actions, especially in religious contexts.


Dagon

When the Philistines tooke the Arke of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Samuel 5:2:

This day a ſolemn Feaſt the people hold / To Dagon thir Sea-Idol,

1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 10, lines 12–13:

Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters and bright tweeds, like an English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 15:

The main god of the Phoenicians. Although at one time believed to be represented as half man and half fish, modern scholarship recognizes that the latter was the apkallu, while Dagan/Dagon was a grain god.


immortality

immortality (countable and uncountable, plural immortalities)

/ˌɪmɔːˈtæləti/

/ˌɪmɔːɹˈtæləti/

From Middle English immortalitee, immortalite, from Old French immortalité, from Latin immortālitās.
Morphologically immortal + -ity

خُلُود

condition of not being susceptible to death

In Greek mythology, Tithonus was granted immortality but not eternal youth.

In the little, as in the great things of life, are to be found the type and sign of our immortality. Every hope that looks forward is pledge of the hereafter to which it refers. Who rests content with the present? None. We have all deep within us a craving for the future.

1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Marriage Morning”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 201:

His one desire was to become the father of a man like himself, and it held him with a grip he only partially understood, for it was the first great desire, the first great passion of his life. Falling in love was a mere physical triviality, like warm sun or cool water, beside this divine hope of immortality: "I continue."

1905, E. M. Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread, chapter 4

(religion, mythology, biology) The condition of being immortal.

The condition of being immortal.
Never dying

You have to salute Gerrard's bravery in accepting the challenge of trying to turn Rangers around given that he has zero experience in senior management. Immortality beckons if he does it.

2018 May 4, Tom English, “Steven Gerrard: A 'seriously clever or recklessly stupid' Rangers appointment”, in BBC Sport:

The condition of being immortal.
Being remembered forever


David

en-proper noun

David (countable and uncountable, plural Davids)

From Middle English David, Davyd, Davyde, from Old English Dauid, David, from Latin David, Davidus, from Koine Greek Δαυίδ (Dauíd), Δαβίδ (Dabíd), borrowed from Biblical Hebrew דּוד (Dāwîḏ, literally “beloved”).

der

David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Samuel 23:1-2:

Some devout Christians are among the most fervent advocates of the death penalty, contradicting Jesus Christ and misinterpreting Holy Scriptures and numerous examples of mercy. We remember God’s forgiveness of Cain, who killed Abel, and the adulterer King David, who arranged the killing of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, his lover.

2014, Jimmy Carter, “Full Prisons and Legal Killing”, in A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 39:

(biblical) The second king of Judah and Israel, the successor of King Saul in the Old Testament; the son of Jesse and the father of Nathan and King Solomon.


shade

en-noun

shade (countable and uncountable, plural shades)

From Middle English schade, from Old English sċeadu, sċadu (“shadow; shade”), from Proto-West Germanic *skadu, from Proto-Germanic *skadwaz (“shadow; shade”). More at shadow.

inh

Too long have I been haunted by that shade.

The adventurer was attacked by a shade.

Swift as thought the flitting shade / Thro' air his momentary journey made.

1700, [John] Dryden, “Ceyx and Alcyone”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

Still, Birch House (a sop to the shade of the murdered Perak Resident) had no more than its normal share of flagellation[.]

1956, Anthony Burgess, Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 39:

(chiefly literary and fantasy) A ghost or specter; a spirit.


tierce

From Old French tierce, from Latin tertia.

(religion, Roman Catholicism) Synonym of terce: the third canonical hour or its service.


chai

Borrowed from Hebrew חַי (kháy, “alive”).

bor+

Nothing hangs on the walls, though a stained-glass Hebrew chai leans against the window.

1995 May 21, Steven Levy, “The Unabomber and David Gelernter”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Today, he [Drake] wears a diamond-studded Chai, a symbol of the Jewish word for life, and has his mother pressuring him to marry "a nice Jewish girl," according to Heeb magazine.

2011 February 18, Mark Marino, “Kosher beef between two rappers”, in CNN, archived from the original on 2023-02-01:

(Judaism) A Jewish symbol representing life, traditionally worn as an amulet.


part

desc

→ Cantonese: part (paat¹), parts (paat¹ si²) (from the plural noun form)

→ Japanese: パート (pāto), パーツ (pātsu) (from the plural noun form)

From Middle English part, from Old English part (“part”) and Old French part (“part”); both from Latin partem, accusative of pars (“piece, portion, share, side, party, faction, role, character, lot, fate, task, lesson, part, member”), from Proto-Indo-European *par-, *per- (“to sell, exchange”). Akin to Latin portiō (“a portion, part”), parāre (“to make ready, prepare”). Displaced Middle English del, dele (“part”) (from Old English dǣl (“part, distribution”) > Modern English deal (“portion; amount”)), Middle English dale, dole (“part, portion”) (from Old English dāl (“portion”) > Modern English dole), Middle English sliver (“part, portion”) (from Middle English sliven (“to cut, cleave”), from Old English (tō)slifan (“to split”)).

noncog

(Judaism) In the Hebrew lunisolar calendar, a unit of time equivalent to 3⅓ seconds.


garment

From Middle English garment, garement, garnement, from Old French garnement, guarnement, from garnir (“to garnish, adorn, fortify”), from Frankish. More at garnish.


pagan

From Middle English pagan (adjective and noun), from Latin pāgānus (“rural, rustic", later "civilian”), replaced Middle English payen from the same root. The meaning "not (Judeo-)Christian" arose in Vulgar Latin, probably from the 4th century. It is unclear whether this usage is derived primarily from the "rustic" or from the "civilian" meaning, which in Roman army jargon meant 'clumsy'. As a self-designation of neopagans, attested since 1990.
Partly displaced native heathen, from Old English hǣþen.

der

Under Christianization, many converted societies transformed their pagan deities into saints.

Relating to, characteristic of religions that differ from main world religions.


pagan

This community has a surprising number of pagans.

A person not adhering to a main world religion; a follower of a pantheistic or nature-worshipping religion.

besëlashtë

(by extension, derogatory) An uncivilized or unsocialized person.

An outlaw biker who is a member of the Pagans MC.


eternity

en-noun

eternity (countable and uncountable, plural eternities)

sempiternity

antonym(s) of “existence outside of time”

From Middle English eternyte, from Old French eternité, from Latin aeternitās. Displaced native Old English ēcnes.

We sometimes speak of eternity in contradistinction to time; and often say, "through time and into eternity;" and again "from eternity to eternity," which is simply another form of expressing the same idea, and "pass through time into eternity." in other words, time is a short period allotted to man in his probationary state—and we use the word time in contradistinction to the word eternity, merely for the accommodation of man in his finite sphere, that we may comprehend and learn to measure periods.

1879, Erastus Snow, “Rest Signifies Change, etc.”, in Brigham Young, editor, Journal of Discourses, volume 21, published 1881:

(uncountable, philosophy, theology) Existence outside of time.


BOM

balm (some speakers with the father-bother merger)

(Mormonism) Initialism of Book of Mormon.


immortal

From Latin immortālis, from prefix im- (“not”) (from in-) + mortālis (“mortal”) (from mors (“death”), combining form mort- + adjectival suffix -alis), equivalent to im- + mortal. Displaced native undeadly, from Old English undēadlīċ.

I have immortal longings in me.

c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

Connected with or relating to immortality.


exegesis

exegesis (countable and uncountable, plural exegeses)

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐξήγησις (exḗgēsis, “interpretation”), from ἐξηγέομαι (exēgéomai, “I explain, interpret”), from ἐξ (ex, “out”) + ἡγέομαι (hēgéomai, “I lead, guide”).

تَفْسِير

formal written exposition or explanatory essay

1885, Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (original translators and editors), Arthur Cleveland Coxe (editor of American edition), Philip Schaff (also credited as editor), Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II
Accordingly Athanasius complains loudly of their exegesis (Ep. Æg. 3–4, cf. Orat. i. 8, 52), and insists (id. i. 54, cf. already de Decr. 14) on the primary necessity of always conscientiously studying the circumstances of time and place, the person addressed, the subject matter, and purpose of the writer, in order not to miss the true sense.

As with Deism and Materialism, the German Rationalism invaded the department of Biblical exegesis.

1913, Francis Aveling, “Rationalism”, in Catholic Encyclopedia (1913):

Historical scholarship bears exclusively on interpretive reading; when it is properly subordinated as a means, its end is exegesis; all of its techniques are of service to the grammatical art. But exegesis is not the end; nor is grammar the highest art. Exegesis is for the sake of a fair critical judgment, grammar for the sake of logic and rhetoric.

1940, Mortimer J. Adler, Two Essays on Docility:

A critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text.


hearth

From Middle English herth, herthe, from Old English heorþ, from Proto-West Germanic *herþ, from Proto-Germanic *herþaz, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *kerh₃- (“heat; fire”). Cognate with West Frisian hurd, Dutch haard, German Herd, Swedish härd.

der

Asatru is practised all over Northern Europe and also in North America. Like Druidry, it is organized into bodies with sub-groups, the hearths.

1996, Vivianne Crowley, Thorsons principles of paganism, page 50:

Smaller localized groups known as 'hearths' meet regularly, and are comparable, in size and function, with a Wiccan 'Coven' or Druidic 'Grove'.

2003 December 8, Robert J. Wallis, Shamans/neo-Shamans: Ecstasy, Alternative Archaeologies, and Contemporary Pagans, page 102:

Neopagan groups take many forms, from Wiccan covens to Druid groves, from Heathen hearths to magical lodges[…]

2004 March 1, Peter Clarke, editor, Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements, Routledge, page 768:

(Germanic paganism) A household or group in some forms of the modern pagan faith Heathenry.


preterition

en-noun

preterition (countable and uncountable, plural preteritions)

Borrowed from Latin praeteritiō, from praetereō (“I omit”).

(theology) The doctrine that God passes over the non-elect in electing to eternal life those predestinated to salvation.


beth hamidrash

From Hebrew בית (beyt, “house”) + ה־ (ha-, “the”) + מדרש (midrash, “Midrash”).

A Jewish house of study where the study of the Torah is undertaken.


hope

hope (countable and uncountable, plural hopes)

From Middle English hope, from Old English hopa (“hope, expectation”), from the same source as the verb hope.

hope springs eternal in the human breast

But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 13:13:

(Christianity, uncountable) The virtuous desire for future good.


virgin

From Middle English virgine, from Old French virgine, from Latin virginem, accusative of virgō. Doublet of Virgo. Displaced native Old English fǣmne.

In its list of saints, the Catholic Church classifies St. Agnes, St. Maria Goretti, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux as virgins.

This was the relation of the order of virgins to the Church from the latter part of the fourth to the beginning of the seventh century. The modern “sister” had no exact prototype in the Church of the first seven centuries.

1894, Authorized Report of the Proceedings of the ... Congress of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States ..., page 109:

The list of saints' days and festivals includes a number of the Romish holidays, properly so called, viz.: Lucian, priest and martyr, Jan. 8 ; Hilary, bishop and confessor, Jan. 13 ; Prisca, virgin and martyr, Jan. 18 ; Fabian, bishop and martyr, Jan. 20 ; Agnes, virgin and martyr, Jan. 21 […]

1894, John McClintock, James Strong, Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, page 26:

It is evident that those from the priesthood are chiefly taken from the order of virgins, or if not from virgins, at least from monks; or if not from the order of monks, then they are wont to be made priests who keep themselves from their wives […].

1900, A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church: Second Series, page 366:

It ought to have become apparent, however, that the well-established order of widows was the model for the newly developing order of virgins. Both orders earned their legitimization from the way of life adopted by their members […]

1994, Susanna Elm, `Virgins of God' : The Making of Asceticism in Late Antiquity: The Making of Asceticism in Late Antiquity, Clarendon Press, →ISBN, page 174:

According to Jerome's account, a young man, who desired to seduce a consecrated virgin of the church, at first attempted to do so through the standard means of seduction: namely, “with touching, jokes, nods, whistles, and the rest” (Vit. Hil. 21.2670–75).

2007, Todd C. Penner, Caroline Vander Stichele, Mapping Gender in Ancient Religious Discourses, BRILL, →ISBN, page 89:

Grant, O Lord, I beseech thee, that the Virgin and Martyr, St. Philomena, may solicit thy mercy for us. I implore her intercession, through the merits of her chastity, and by the glory that she gave to thy power, in dying for thee.

2015, Anonymous, Aeterna Press, The Life and Miracles: Saint Philomena, Virgin and Martyr, Aeterna Press:

(Catholicism, Orthodoxy or historical) Someone vowed to virginity (usually a woman and often a consecrated virgin), or someone who died in defense of their virginity; (especially) one venerated as a saint.


withhold

From Middle English withholden. Equivalent to with- + hold.

I was afraid to go into review for the help I needed because of the withholds I had against the organization, withholds acquired at the franchise: our late evening discussions, our kidding around at the expense of other Scientologists.

1972, Robert Kaufman, Inside Scientology: How I Joined Scientology and Became Superhuman, →ISBN, page 150:

Dianetics is concerned with purifying the individual of negative emotions, evil spirits, overts, and withholds.

1976, Nathaniel Lande, Mindstyles, Lifestyles, →ISBN, page 133:

The scientology theory is that marriages fail because one or both partners have undisclosed withholds, and when they confess these to their spouse their desire to end the relationship is dissipated and the marriage is saved.

2022, Mike Rinder, A Billion Years: My Escape from a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology, →ISBN, pages 138–9:

(Scientology) An immoral action or condition (an overt) that has not been disclosed to others; the consciousness of such an action or condition.


-kin

From Middle English -kin, -ken (also as -ke, -k), perhaps from Old English -ca, -ce, but more likely from Middle Dutch -ken (compare cognate Middle English -chen, -chin, from Old English -ċen), apparently representing Proto-West Germanic *-ikīn, *-ukīn, a double diminutive, from *-ik, *-uk (> Old English -oc) + *-īn (compare Old English -en). Cognate with Dutch -ken, Low German -ken, German -chen, Old English -ċen. More at -ock, -en.

(now archaic) Forming diminutives of nouns.


prana

prana (countable and uncountable, plural pranas)

From Sanskrit प्राण (prāṇa, “breath; life”).

He it is who sends the (in-coming) Prana (life-breath) upward and throws the (out-going) breath downward.

1919, Swami Paramananda, transl., The Upanishads:

He who knows Aditi, who rises with Prana (the Life Principle), existent in all the Devas.

May my limbs, speech, Prana (life-force), sight, hearing, strength and all my senses, gain in vigor.

(Hinduism, yoga) Respiration, breathing, seen as a life principle or life force.


hajji

Borrowed from Middle French hagi, from Ottoman Turkish حاجی (hacı), from Classical Persian حَاجِی (hājī).

(Islam) a Muslim who has participated in a hajj.


genizah

genizah (plural genizahs or genizot or genizoth)

genizahs (plural)
genizot (plural)
genizoth (plural)

From Hebrew גְּנִיזָה (g'nizá, “archiving, preservation, storage; hiding; genizah”) (plural גְּנִיזוֹת (g'nizót)), from Old Persian *ganzam, from Old Median *ganǰam (“depository; treasure”).

der

The Cairo Genizah was discovered in 1896.

In the year 1870 the Russian Minister of Public Worship purchased from the well-known Karaite traveller and archaeologist Abraham Firkowitsch his collection of Samaritan MSS. for the Imperial Library of St. Petersburg. It consists almost exclusively of fragments, this circumstance arising from the fact that the collector during his stay in Nablus and Egypt completely ransacked the Samaritan Genizoth (that is to say, the garrets and cellars of the synagogues whither their worn-out books were conveyed), thus acquiring several fragments of Samaritan Pentateuch rolls— […]

1874, John W. Nutt, “Appendix I. The Collection of Samaritan MSS. at St. Petersburg.”, in A Sketch of Samaritan History, Dogma, and Literature, Published as an Introduction to “Fragments of a Samaritan Targum, Edited from a Bodleian MS.”, London: Trübner and Co., →OCLC, page 153:

Unfortunately, too, the fragment begins in the very middle of a sentence, as do most of these Genizah fragments. It is evident that the leaves come from a large volume, as each drug was numbered.

1935 January 15, R[ichard James Horatio] Gottheil, “A Fragment on Pharmacy from the Cairo Genizah”, in The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland: With which are Incorporated the Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, part I, London: Published by the Society, 74 Grosvenor Street, London, W. 1, →OCLC, page 124:

The rule of burying the old Scrolls which became spoiled or torn was in course of time extended to all Hebrew books which became torn or spoiled. This, indirectly, probably led to the well-known practice of having special places called Geniza, where such books were temporarily kept before being buried[…]. In almost all Jewish centers, there are Genizot in the synagogues—under the Bima, within the walls, or in the garrets. As the place grew overcrowded, the content was carried to the cemetery for burial.

1983, Jacob Z[allel] Lauterbach, “73. Ritual for Disposal of Damaged Sefer Torah (Vol. XXXIV, 9124, pp. 74–75)”, in Walter Jacob, editor, American Reform Responsa: Collected Responsa of the Central Conference of American Rabbis 1889–1983, New York, N.Y.: Central Conference of American Rabbis, →OCLC, page 243:

[A]ccording to Jewish law and practice, ritual objects which contained the name of God could not be thrown away or destroyed. The tradition was to treat these objects with great reverence. A place called a Genizah (from Persian, "ganoz," which means "treasury" or "hidden place") was created to house these ritual objects. […] A genizah, therefore, was a place of concealment. Sometimes this was a hidden cave; other times it was space between the stories of a building or a separate cupboard or small room with a small opening into which could be placed the remnants of books and manuscripts which contained the name of God. […] Often things placed in the genizah were destroyed over the years from mildew and erosion, but in certain climates they were preserved. Such was the case with a great genizah in old Cairo that was discovered by Professor Solomon Schechter. Schechter's discovery opened to modern Jewish scholarship thousands of pages of ancient manuscripts and original works that had been lost or not known to modern scholars.

2002, Stephen M. Brown, “Beginning Talmud Torah”, in Stephen Garfinkel, Karen L. Stein, editors, Reclaiming Our Legacy: The More Torah, the More Life, revised edition, New York, N.Y.: Department of Youth Activities, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, →OCLC, pages 110–111:

Originally Jewish law required only the words of Scripture to be stashed in genizahs, but over time the understanding of which texts were sacred often became far broader. Soon Jews were depositing rabbinic writings as well as scriptural ones into their genizahs. Later, they included any document even mentioning God and sometimes documents bearing any Hebrew at all. In fact, by the tenth century—particularly in the highly literate lands of the Middle East and North Africa—many Jews seem to have considered any document of any kind worthy of preservation in their genizah repositories.

2016, Mark Glickman, “Loading the Jewish Bookshelf”, in Stolen Words: The Nazi Plunder of Jewish Books, Philadelphia, Pa.: Published by the University of Nebraska Press as a Jewish Publication Society book, →ISBN, page 33:

(Jewish law) A depository where sacred Hebrew books or other sacred items that by Jewish law cannot be disposed of are kept before they can be properly buried in a cemetery.

جنيزا

depository where sacred Hebrew books, etc., are kept before being buried in a cemetery


connexion

en-noun

connexion (countable and uncountable, plural connexions)

From Middle English connexioun, from Latin connexiō (“a conclusion, binding together”), from connectō.

der

(Methodism) A Methodist denomination as a whole, as opposed to its constituent churches, circuits, districts and conferences (US spelling: connection).

(historical) The inter-relationship of prayer groups or religious societies under the oversight of an itinerant preacher who is assisted by the local preachers attached to each society.


NO

(Roman Catholicism) Initialism of Novus Ordo.


Islamitish

en-adj

Islamitish (comparative more Islamitish, superlative most Islamitish)

more Islamitish (comparative)
most Islamitish (superlative)


gloria

en-noun

gloria (countable and uncountable, plural glorias)

Borrowed from Latin gloria. Doublet of glory.

The glorias, canticles, and some translations of popular hymns are admirably sung; I do not know that I ever heard congregational singing more effective.

1855, The Colonial Church chronicle, and missionary journal:


station

→ Hindi: स्टेशन (sṭeśan)

→ Irish: stáisiún

→ Malay: stesen

desc

ਸਟੇਸ਼ਨ (sṭeśan)

→ Punjabi: سٹیشن/ਸਟੇਸ਼ਨ (sṭeśan)

→ Scottish Gaelic: stèisean

→ Swahili: stesheni

→ Urdu: سْٹیشَن (sṭeśan), اِسْٹیشَن (isṭeśan)

From Middle English stacioun, borrowed from Anglo-Norman estation, from Latin statiōnem, accusative of statiō (“standing, post, job, position”), whence also Italian stazione. Doublet of stagione. Cognate with Ancient Greek ἵστημι (hístēmi), στάσις (stásis), Old English standan (whence English stand).

Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross

(Christianity) Any of the Stations of the Cross.

(Christianity) The Roman Catholic fast of the fourth and sixth days of the week, Wednesday and Friday, in memory of the council which condemned Christ, and of his passion.

So dyd Offa[…]Deuoutly to vysyte all the hole stacyons of the cytee of Rome.

1513, Henry Bradshaw, The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester:

(Christianity) A church in which the procession of the clergy halts on stated days to say stated prayers.


mortal

en-adj

mortal (comparative more mortal, superlative most mortal)

more mortal (comparative)
most mortal (superlative)

From Middle English mortal, mortel, from Old French mortal, and their source Latin mortālis, from mors (“death”). Partly displaced native deadly, from Old English dēadlīċ.

(religion, of a sin) Causing spiritual death.


seal

en-verb

seal (third-person singular simple present seals, present participle sealing, simple past and past participle sealed)

seals (present singular third-person)
sealing (participle present)
sealed (participle past)
sealed (past)

From Middle English sele, from Anglo-Norman sëel, from Latin sigillum, a diminutive of signum (“sign”).
Doublet of sigil and sigillum.

In temples of God, families are eternally sealed through this power. Couples who enter into the Covenant of Eternal Marriage are sealed together, meaning that their union on earth is also valid in the heavens, rather than ending at death. Children who are subsequently born to them or later sealed to them are theirs for eternity… In addition, temple sealings are performed by proxy for the dead, with spouses sealed to each other and children sealed to parents.

2010, Christopher Kimball Bigelow, Jonathan Langford, The Latter-day Saint Family Encyclopedia, page 306:

If a man once married desires a second helpmate […] she is sealed to him under the solemn sanction of the church.

1852, Howard Stansbury, An Expedition to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake of Utah:

She can be sealed to this other man and still remain with her first husband; and the Mormons believe that all her children will belong to the man to whom she is sealed.

1870, Aaron Harrison Cragin, Execution of Laws in Utah, page 9:

Next, I was sealed to my fourteenth wife, Emeline Vaughn. In 1851, I was sealed to my fifteenth wife, Mary Lear Groves. In 1856, I was sealed to my sixteenth wife, Mary Ann Williams.

2001, Richard W. Slatta, The Mythical West, page 197:

(Mormonism) To bind eternally as family members.

What was that office, or work, to which his Father sealed him? I answer, more generally, he was sealed to the whole work of mediation for us, thereby to recover and save all the elect, whom the Father had given him:

1836, John Flavel, The Fountain of Life Opened; Or, A Display of Christ in His Essential and Mediatorial Glory. 1671, page 44:

Perfectly so, I tell thee, of the sealed people who have come in through unbelief, pretending themselves to be children of the kingdom, that they are sealed to be heirs of the promise, but have come in as thieves and robbers.

1861, Joanna Southcott, Lavinia Elizabeth C. Jones, The scriptures of the holy Trinity, page 88:

Let us all strive to get ourselves sealed to redemption, seeing God doth seal those whom he will deliver in that great day; if we be not in this number, we shall not escape damnation.

1866, Paul Baynes, An Entire Commentary Upon the Whole Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians, page 81:

Thus these representatives of humanity are first sealed to help with the final work of salvation.

2015, Uchenna Mezue, Hidden In Plain Sight: A Study of the Revelation to John:

(Christianity) To form a sacred commitment.


prose

en-noun

prose (usually uncountable, plural proses)

From Middle English prose, from Old French prose, from Latin prōsa (“straightforward”) from the term prōsa ōrātiō (“a straightforward speech – i.e. without the ornaments of verse”).
further etymology and related terms
The term prōsa (“straightforward”), a colloquial form of prorsa (“straight forwards”), the feminine form prorsus (“straight forwards”), from Old Latin prōvorsus (“moving straight ahead”), from pro- (“forward”) + vorsus (“turned”), form of vertō (“I turn”). Compare verse.

der

Proses are parts of the Office of the Mass which are sung just before the Gospel, upon great Festivals. The French also call those Rhythmical Hymns Proses, which are sung in their Offices in the Church of Rome, in which Rhime only, and not Quantity of Syllables, is observed.

(Roman Catholicism) A hymn with no regular meter, sometimes introduced into the Mass.


caste

Borrowed from Portuguese or Spanish casta (“lineage, breed, race”), of uncertain origin.
* The OED derives it from Portuguese casto (“chaste”), from Latin castus (“chaste"; "chastity”).
* Coromines (1987) argues instead for a hypothetical Gothic form *𐌺𐌰𐍃𐍄𐍃 (*kasts, “group, collection of animals”), cognate with English cast, from Proto-Germanic *kastuz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ǵ-es-.

unc

uncertain

Pakistan is a conservative, religious state. The Edhi Foundation is unusual in its ignoring of caste, creed, religion and sect. This strict stance has led to some criticism from religious groups.

2017 April 6, Samira Shackle, “On the frontline with Karachi’s ambulance drivers”, in the Guardian:

Any of the hereditary social classes and subclasses of South Asian societies or similar found historically in other cultures.


Hera

Borrowed from Latin Hēra, from Ancient Greek Ἥρᾱ (Hḗrā).

(Greek mythology) The queen of the gods, and goddess of marriage and birth; daughter of Cronus and Rhea, sister and wife of Zeus, mother of Hephaestus, Ares, Hebe, and Enyo.


Mormon

→ Hopi: moomona

→ Fijian: momani

→ Samoan: Mamona

→ Hawaiian: Moramona

→ Portuguese: mórmon

→ Spanish: mormón

→ Japanese: モルモン

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Mormon.wav

From the title of the chief work of Joseph Smith the Book of Mormon. Followers of his religious movement were called this since the 1830s. The title of the book comes from the name from the prophet who they believe compiled it, called Moroni, and/or the Waters of Mormon mentioned in it.
Some have suggested that name of Moroni was a play by the 14-year-old Joseph Smith on the word moron, but that term was not used before 1910. Other implausible etymologies have been proposed, usually in attempts to discredit or defend the Mormon faith.

That year, 1871, had marked a change which had been gradually coming in the lives of the peace-loving Mormons of the border.

1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter 1, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y., London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC:

(originally derogatory, sometimes proscribed) A believer in the Mormon religion, which views Joseph Smith as a prophet of God and holds the Bible and the Book of Mormon as its primary scriptures.

Mormoon

member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

摩门教徒 (mo¹ mun⁴ gaau³ tou⁴) (former translation)

摩门教徒 (Mô-bûn kàu-tô͘) (former translation)

摩门教徒 (Mómén jiàotú) (former translation)


Islamism

en-noun

Islamism (countable and uncountable, plural Islamisms)

From Islam + -ism. Compare French islamisme.

Muhammed [...] first manifested and obserued the Religion of Islamisme [...]

1626, Samuel Purchas, Purchas his Pilgrimage, or Relations of the World, fourth edition, page 1013:

‘There is no God but God, and Mahommed is his prophet’. A confession of faith which is in itself a declaration of Islamism.

1827, Walter Scott, The Life of Napoleon Buonaparte:

Those of Meshed further assured him, that at Candahar there are descendants of Simeon, also of Joseph (i. e. of Ephraim and Manasseh,) though they were outwardly conformed to Islamism;³ and he himself, when in Arabia, met with Israelites who declared themselves, and were believed by the Jews, to be of the tribe of Dan. Their usual residence was near Terim in Hatramawt.

1841, Joshua William Brooks, “The Present Conditions and Future Prospects of the Jews”, in The History of the Hebrew Nation: From Its First Origin to the Present Time, London: R. B. Seeley and W. Burnside, pages 569–570:

They were the outposts and frontiers of Islamism.

1852, Washington Irving, Tales from the Alhambra:

Tibi makes an absolute distinction between Islamism, which he regards as a totalitarian political ideology resembling Nazism and communism, and Islam, the religion to which he adheres.

2012, Malise Ruthven, ‘Reason & Religion’, Literary Review, number 399:

A popular reform movement advocating the reordering of government and society in accordance with laws prescribed by Islam.

Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism

(by extension) Islamic fundamentalism, especially the forms that promote violence, hostility, and persecution of non-believers.


preface

Late 14th century, from Middle English preface, prefas, from Old French preface (from which derives the modern French préface), from Medieval Latin prefātia, for classical Latin praefātiō (“a saying beforehand”), from praefor (“to speak beforehand”), from prae- (“beforehand”) + for (“to speak”).

Meronyms: protocol, embolism, eschatocol

(Christianity) A variable prayer forming the prelude or introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer or canon of the Mass, following the Sursum corda dialogue and leading into the Sanctus.


meditation

meditation (countable and uncountable, plural meditations)

From Old French meditacion, from Latin meditatio, from meditatus, the past participle of meditārī (“to meditate, to think over, consider”), itself from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure, limit, consider, advise”).

der

A devotional exercise of, or leading to, contemplation.


mantra

Borrowed from Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra, literally “instrument of thought”), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *mántram, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *mántram, from Proto-Indo-European *mén-tro-m, from *men- (“to think”). Doublet of mind.

bor

This mantra is also known as Guru Mantra or Savitri Mantra. The mention of Gayatri Mantra is found in all the four Vedas where its essence has been explained repeatedly. The Rig Veda, the oldest of the Vedic scriptures, has mentioned about […]

2001, Gautam Chatterjee, Sacred Hindu Symbols, Abhinav Publications, →ISBN, page 36:

(Hinduism) The hymn portions of the Vedas; any passage of these used as a prayer.

However, the five-syllable mantra is unique, for according to Kukai, it unleashes the power of emptiness already impregnated in each letter as a primeval episode of the Dharmakaya's cosmic meditation in which he created all sorts of mantras […]

1999, Ryûichi Abé, The Weaving of Mantra: Kûkai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse, Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page 300:

(originally Hinduism) A phrase repeated to assist concentration during meditation.

真言

a phrase repeated to assist concentration during meditation


hierophany

Borrowed from French hiérophanie, as used by Romanian religious historian and philosopher Mircea Eliade (1907–1986) in his book The Sacred and the Profane (1959; translated into English from an unpublished French original), from Ancient Greek ἱερός (hierós, “sacred, holy sign”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “show, appear”).

derived

Man becomes aware of the sacred, because it manifests itself, shows itself, as something wholly different from the profane. To designate the act of manifestation of the sacred, we have proposed the term hierophany. It is a fitting term, because it does not imply anything further; it expresses no more than is implicit in its etymological content, i.e., that something sacred shows itself to us. It could be said that the history of religions—from the most primitive to the most highly developed—is constituted by a great number of hierophanies, by manifestations of sacred realities. From the most elementary hierophany—e.g., manifestation of the sacred in some ordinary object, a stone or a tree—to the supreme hierophany (which, for a Christian, is the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ) there is no solution of continuity.

1959, Mircea Eliade, “Introduction”, in Willard R. Trask, transl., The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion (Harvest Book; HB 144), New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace & World, →ISBN, page 11:

The technical meaning of symbolism is more extensive than the mere assertion that a particular stone or a specific tree is a hierophany. […] Water symbolism involves the common element of water, but lacks a central hierophany such as unites lunar symbolism. […] But there is, for [Mircea] Eliade, an overarching system which implies a meaning which is more comprehensive than any hierophany standing alone, and this system is implied in each particular hierophany.

1991, Robert D. Baird, Category Formation and the History of Religions: With a New Preface (Religion and Reason; 1), 2nd edition, Berlin, New York, N.Y.: Mouton de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 75:

Hierophany: We have now reached the culminating point of the rite. When the fire bursts forth, the adhvaryu rises, takes away the golden lid and announces: “the gharma is aglow” (rucito gharma). This is one of the key-moments of the whole rite, if not its culminating point. The heat has now reached its Zenith, as also the light which is emitted from the fire. It is in fact the heat which guarantees the hierophany which at this moment takes place in the mahāvira – in the ‘Great Hero’ – which becomes divine. And it is in this highest degree of incandescence that the Sacred appears with all its force and power, assuring its actual divine presence which the sacrifice – sacrum facere – intends to effect and make manifest.

1992, Umar Marina Vesci, Heat and Sacrifice in the Vedas, 2nd rev. edition, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, →OCLC, page 256:

I have found it quite impossible, for example, to discuss the sacred and the coincidentia oppositorum without reference to Eliade’s concept of “hierophany”, and so it is with my attempt to clarify this word that I will begin. Although it may be strange on first exposure this neologism of Eliade’s is deceptively simple. It is compounded, we can easily explain to a freshman student, of the Greek hiero, the holy, the sacred, and phainein, to show. Thus a “hierophany” is a perception of the sacred. […] Despite the clear, simple definitions quoted above, the passive form of the verb, phainesthai, means “to appear”, allowing an interpretation of hierophany as an intransitive action by that which is made manifest — the sacred manifests itself. […] So, not only are things “transformed” into hierophanies, but anything can be so transformed, and yet, having been so transformed the hierophany may remain “cryptic”. Furthermore, “every hierophany makes manifest the coincidence of contrary essences” (Patterns, 29). […] As the Encyclopedia goes on to explain, “the appearance of the sacred in a hierophany, however, does not eliminate its profane existence”.

1994, Bryan S. Rennie, “Hierophany”, in Reconstructing Eliade: Making Sense of Religion, Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press, →ISBN, pages 7–8:

(religion) A physical manifestation of the holy or sacred, serving as a spiritual eidolon for emulation or worship.

Josefa de Óbidos
Mircea Eliade
Teresa of Ávila


octave

From Latin octavus (“eighth”). Doublet of octavo, ochava, and oitava.

Octave in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

[…] the Chamberlains' records of the companies' visits to their towns are, for the most part, not precisely dates, but merely group them together […] within their annual accounting period which normally […] ran from Michaelmas (29 September) to Michaelmas, or its octave (6 October).

2000, John Southworth, Shakespeare the Player:

It was extended to the entire Church by 1814, and then in 1913 the feast was transferred to September 15, the octave day of the Birth of Mary and the day after the Exaltation of the Cross.

2014, Jennifer Gregory Miller, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

(Christianity) The day that is one week after a feast day in the Latin rite of the Catholic Church.

1870, The Night Hours of the Church, trans. Rev. J. M. Neale
Of an Octave the Office is said. or at least commemorated, (when any Sunday or Feast intervene), for eight successive days.

(Christianity) An eight-day period beginning on a feast day in the Latin rite of the Catholic Church.


Aidenn

From Hebrew עדן (éden, “Eden”). Compare Arabic عَدْن (ʕadn).

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn / It shall clasp a rare and radiant maiden who the angels named Lenore


Persephone

From Ancient Greek Περσεφόνη (Persephónē).

(Greek mythology) A minor deity, the queen of the Underworld/Hades, and goddess of the seasons and vegetation. Originally named Kore/Core, she is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter; and the wife of Hades. Her Roman counterpart is Proserpina.


cenobite

From Old French cenobite or Ecclesiastical Latin coenobīta, from coenobium, from Ancient Greek κοινόβιον (koinóbion, “community life, convent”), from κοινός (koinós, “common”) + βίος (bíos, “life”).

der

Lamprecht knew very well how the war was going and was perfunctory in his rounding up of Jews and cenobites.

1980, Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers, page 418:

A new or recent member of a Greek monastic religious order; a caloyer.


ark

→ Maori: āka

From Middle English arke, from Old English earc, ærc, from Latin arca (“chest, box, coffer”), from arceō (“I enclose”).

In the midrash about Noah it says that Noah had a stone which, when held up in the darkness of the ark, would change color when the sun was shining outside.

1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 201:

(Judaism, Christianity, Islam) Noah's ark: the ship built by Noah to save his family and a collection of animals from the deluge.

(Judaism) A decorated cabinet at the front of a synagogue, in which Torah scrolls are kept.


guru

From Hindi गुरु (guru) / Punjabi ਗੁਰੂ (gurū), from Sanskrit गुरु (guru, “venerable, respectable”), originally "heavy" and in this sense cognate to English grieve and, more distantly, brute. Doublet of grave. A traditional, though flawed etymology based on the Advayataraka Upanishad (line 16) describes the syllables gu as “darkness” and ru as “destroyer”, thus ascribing the meaning of “one who destroys/dispels darkness” to the word.

When the gooroo arrives at the house of a disciple, the whole family prostrate themselves at his feet, and the spiritual guide puts his right foot on the heads of the prostrate family.

1817, William Ward, History, Literature and Religion of the Hindoos, volume II:

The Baiga magicians derive from the old guru who succeeded Nanga Baiga. There is very great confusion about the original guru, and how he was actually related to Nanga Baiga, but there is general agreement that there were originally four great Baiga guru—Daugun, Nindhan, Danantar and Madhakawar, all four brothers.

1939, Verrier Elwin, “The Magician and His Control of the Natural World”, in The Baiga, London: John Murray, […], section II (The Magician’s Heritage), page 342:

These guru, third, were responsible for insuring that the populace would not be tempted to support heterodox world renouncers and their counter-patrimonial ideas. In contrast to the pre-classical Brahmin scholars, who serviced only their own and certain ruler and elite religion-social interests, the guru were the patronal guides of the masses, offering prebendal control of the deities through charismatic but morally expounded magic and psychological compensation as personal confessors, in return for popular willingness to conform to the dharmic rules, as interpreted by guru to be sure.

1989, Norman Jacobs, “The Classical Indian Society”, in Patrimonial Interpretation of Indian Society: Contemporary Structure and Historical Foundations, Delhi: Chanakya Publications, →ISBN, page 66:

Many of the deities and beliefs recorded by the guru are in fact unknown to the common people, and some represent the esoteric knowledge of only a few guru.

1994, Simon Rae, “Kiniteken Si Pemena: The Original Belief”, in Breath Becomes the Wind: Old and New in Karo Religion, Dunedin: University of Otago Press, →ISBN, part I (The Karo World), page 19:

Traditionally, a guru is a spiritual teacher who guides a student on the road to Enlightenment, or finding God.

2010 May 10, “Madonna is my guru”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-09-24:

In Indian traditions: a spiritual teacher who transmits knowledge to a shishya.

(India) Any general teacher (as a term of respect).

OPCA gurus are modern legal alchemists. They promise gold, but their methods are principally intended to impress the gullible, or those who wish to use this drivel to abuse the court system. Any lack of legal success by the OPCA litigant is, of course, portrayed as a consequence of the customer’s failure to properly understand and apply the guru's special knowledge.

2012, John D. Rooke (Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta), “Meads v. Meads, 2012 ABQB 571”, in CanLII:

(derogatory) A fraudster or conman relying on a projected air of confidence in an obscure field.


Demeter

From Ancient Greek Δημήτηρ (Dēmḗtēr), from γῆ (gê, “earth”) + μήτηρ (mḗtēr, “mother”).

Coordinate term: (Roman counterpart) Ceres

(Greek mythology) The goddess of the fertility of the Earth and harvests, protector of marriage and social order; daughter of Cronos and Rhea, mother to Persephone.


Morpheus

Borrowed from Latin Morpheus (possibly coined by Ovid in his Metamorphoses as the god is not mentioned in earlier works), from Ancient Greek Μορφεύς (Morpheús), from μορφή (morphḗ, “form, shape”) (alluding to the fact that Morpheus appeared in dreams in the forms of different people) + -εύς (-eús, suffix forming masculine nouns indicating persons concerned with particular things).

(Greek mythology) The god and personification of dreams; according to the Roman poet Ovid, one of the sons of Somnus, the god of sleep.


guardian angel

änglavakt

protection by a guardian angel in a dangerous situation

"We may call them 'guardian angels' as the Catholics do, or 'guides' or 'controls', but whatever you call them, they really do exist and they guard us from evil on the spiritual plane."

1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:

(religion) A tutelary angel watching over a particular person in monotheistic contexts.

don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly

tutelary deity

similar concepts in polytheistic contexts

I don't know when you appointed yourself my guardian angel, but I can take care of my own self, thank you very much!

1980 August 2, Andrea F. Loewenstein, “Random Lust”, in Gay Community News, page 15:

(figuratively) A person who benevolently watches over another.


primer

US, irregular, but common; borrowed from Etymology 2

From Middle English primer, primere, from Medieval Latin primarius and primarium (“prayer book”) possibly via Anglo-Norman primer (“prayer book”), from prima (“prime the liturgical hour and office”) + -arius and -arium (suffix forming related objects). Its use for schoolbooks derived from the late medieval and early modern use of such prayer books to teach reading.

nowrap

<i class="Latn mention" lang="la">-arium</i> (suffix forming related objects).

(historical, Catholicism ecclesiastical) A prayer or devotional book intended for laity, initially an abridgment of the breviary and manual including the hours of the Virgin Mary, 15 gradual and 7 penitential psalms, the litany, the placebo and dirige forming the office of the dead, and the commendations.

Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer

(historical, Protestantism ecclesiastical) Any of various similar works issued in England for private prayer in accordance with the Book of Common Prayer.


pastor

pasta (Australia, New Zealand, Northern England)

From Middle English pastour, from Old French pastor (Modern French pasteur), from Latin pāstor.

(Protestantism) A minister or priest in a church.

Coordinate term: parochial vicar

(Roman Catholicism, US) The main priest serving a parish.


pastor

en-verb

pastor (third-person singular simple present pastors, present participle pastoring, simple past and past participle pastored)

pastors (present singular third-person)
pastoring (participle present)
pastored (participle past)
pastored (past)

As they pastored churches in Georgia and Texas, they supported talented black politicians who were unable to win statewide office.

2009 January 21, Shaila Dewan, “Epic Campaign Divided Family, Then United It”, in New York Times:

(Christianity, transitive, intransitive, stative) To serve a congregation as pastor


Aphrodite

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἀφροδίτη (Aphrodítē). Doublet of Aferdita.

bor+

In the "Iliad", Aphrodite is represented as the daughter of Zeus and Dione, the goddess of moisture, who, as the wife of the god of heaven, was held in high esteem among the old Pelasgians.

1877, Otto Seemann, The Mythology of Greece and Rome: With Special Reference to Its Use in Art, page 65:

(Greek mythology) The goddess of beauty and love, born when Cronus castrated his father, Uranus, and threw his genitalia into the sea. Her Roman counterpart is Venus.

Aphrodite Jones is an American author and TV producer.


Satnami

From Sat (truth) + Nami (named by follower), "follower of truth".


good news

en:the message of Jesus concerning the salvation of the faithful

(Christianity) The message of Jesus concerning the salvation of the faithful, as elaborated in the Gospels.


clay

en-noun

clay (usually uncountable, plural clays)

soul

antonym(s) of “material of the human body”

From Middle English cley, clay, from Old English clǣġ (“clay”), from Proto-West Germanic *klaij, from Proto-Germanic *klajjaz (“clay”), from Proto-Indo-European *gley- (“to glue, paste, stick together”).
Cognate with Dutch klei (“clay”), Low German Klei (“clay”), German Klei, Danish klæg (“clay”); compare Ancient Greek γλία (glía), Latin glūten (“glue”) (whence ultimately English glue), Russian глина (glina, “clay”). Related also to clag, clog.

der

Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about...thou hast made me as the clay.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 10:8-9:

But now, O Lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou art our potter; and we are the work of thy hand.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 64:8:

(biblical) The material of the human body.


religious

en-noun

religious (plural religious or religiouses)

/ɹɪˈlɪd͡ʒ.əs/

From Middle English religiouse, religious, religius, religeous, from Anglo-Norman religieus, religius, from Old French religious, religieux, and their source, Latin religiōsus (“religious, superstitious, conscientious”), from religiō. Doublet of religieux.

der

Towards the end of the seventh century the monks of Fleury [...] clandestinely excavated the body of Benedict himself, plus the corpse of his even more shadowy sister and fellow religious, Scholastica.

2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 354:

A member of a religious order or congregation, i.e. a monk, nun, sister, brother, friar, or religious priest.


prime

composite

prime element of a mathematical structure

From Middle English prime, from Old French prime and its etymon, Latin prīmus (“first”), from earlier prīsmos < *prīsemos < Proto-Italic *priisemos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“beyond, before”). Doublet of primo and primus.
The noun sense "apostrophe-like symbol" originates from the fact that the symbol ′ was originally a superscript Roman numeral one.

(Christianity) The religious service appointed to this hour.


spiritual

en-adj

spiritual (comparative more spiritual, superlative most spiritual)

more spiritual (comparative)
most spiritual (superlative)

/ˈspɪɹɪtʃʊəl/

/ˈspɪɹɪt͡ʃuəl/

/ˈspɪɹɪ̈t͡ʃul̩/

From Middle English spiritual, spirituel, from Old French spirituel, from Late Latin spiritualis, from Latin spiritus. Equivalent to spirit + -ual.

Brethren, if a man bee ouertaken in a fault: yee which are spirituall, restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse, considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Galatians 6:1:

Of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred, pure; (Christianity, specifically) inspired by the Holy Spirit.

geestelik

of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred

Pyhän Hengen johdattama

Christianity: controlled and inspired by the Holy Spirit


hostie

Borrowed from Middle French hostie, from Latin hostia.

1694 August 9, James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth, Letter XII, in 1845, William Jerdan (editor), Letters from James, Earl of Perth, Lord Chancellor of Scotland, &c, to His Sister, Countess of Erroll, and Other Members of His Family, page 40,
This Hostie* is carryed about the streets in procession : and really it is very fine to see the solemnity.

But he went to another Prieſt, that lived in the Court, who gave him the pix with an hoſtie in it.

1725, Gilbert Burnet, The History of the Reign of King Charles II: Bishop Burnet's History of His Own Time, page 1011:

The confessor gave him an hostie,* with a piece of wood, that was, as he pretended, a true piece of the cross, and by these he was to be fortify himself, if any other apparition should come to him, since evil spirits would certainly be chained up by them.[…]The friar presented the hostie to them, which gave them such a check, that he was fully satisfied of the virtue of this preservative.

1836, Church of England, Extraordinary Instance of Romish Imposition: The Church of England Magazine, volume 1, page 349:

(obsolete, Catholicism, Scotland) the consecrated bread or wafer of the Eucharist, host.


prior

The adjective is a learned borrowing from Latin prior (“earlier, former, previous, prior; in front; (figurative) better, superior”), from Proto-Italic *priōs (“earlier, previous”, literally “more before”), ultimately from *pri (“before”) (from Proto-Indo-European *pró (“leading to, toward”) and its etymon *per- (“before, in front; first”)) + *-jōs (suffix forming comparative adjectives). Doublet of before, fore, and former.
The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective.

der

His prior residence was smaller than his current one.

I had no prior knowledge you were coming.

Since therefore 'tis poſſible for all objects to become cauſes or effects to each other, it may be proper to fix ſome general rules, by vvhich vve may knovv vvhen they really are ſo. […] 2. The cauſe must be prior to the effect.

1739, [David Hume], “Rules by which to Judge of Causes and Effects”, in A Treatise of Human Nature: […], book I (Of the Understanding), London: […] John Noon, […], →OCLC, part III (Of Knowledge and Probability), pages 303–304:

Lady Marney, duly warned of the impending catastrophe, was experiencing all the advantages of prior information.

1845, B[enjamin] Disraeli, chapter VI, in Sybil; or The Two Nations. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, book I, page 83:

"As these busts in the block of marble," though Miriam, "so does our individual fate exist in the limestone of time. We fancy that we carve it out; but its ultimate shape is prior to all our action."

1860, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “A Sculptor’s Studio”, in The Marble Faun: Or, The Romance of Monte Beni. […], volume I, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, pages 148–149:

These reconstructions took place with so great ease and rapidity at Abbeville, […] that there is now scarce vestige left of any building prior to the fifteenth century.

1886, John Ruskin, “Rome”, in Præterita. Outlines of Scenes and Thoughts Perhaps Worthy of Memory in My Past Life, volume I, Orpington, Kent: George Allen, →OCLC, page 280:

[T]he Mayor, […] seemed to have schooled himself into a course of strict mechanical rightness towards this woman of prior claim, at any expense to the later one, and to his own sentiments.

1886 May, Thomas Hardy, chapter XIII, in The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character. […], volume I, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC, page 152:

Coming before in order or time; earlier, former, previous.

предишен

coming before in importance, order, or time — see also earlier, former, previous


prior

en-adv

prior (comparative more prior, superlative most prior)

more prior (comparative)
most prior (superlative)

The doctor had known three months prior.

From the opening shots of the anonymous young Winterfell boy rushing to catch a glimpse of Jon Snow and Queen Daenerys Targaryen, hearkening back to those moments of the very first episode in which Arya rushed to do the same with an approaching King Robert Baratheon, the series is calling back to its beginning, suggesting (at least for now) that the wheel continues to turn, sending us back into a pattern begun seven seasons prior.

2019 April 14, Alex McLevy, “Winter is Here on Game of Thrones’ Final Season Premiere (Newbies)”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 2020-12-18:

Chiefly followed by to: in advance, before, previously.


prior

From Middle English priour, prior (“head or deputy head of a monastery or other religious house; predecessor; superior”), from Old English prior, from Anglo-Norman priour, prior, priur, and Old French prior, priur (modern French prieur), and directly from their etymon Latin prior (“ancestor; predecessor”) (whence Late Latin prior (“superior of a religious house or order; abbot; deputy abbot; head of a guild”)), a noun use of prior (“former, previous, prior”, adjective): see etymology 1.

cog

(abbot’s deputy):

It is not yet an hundred yere a goe, ſince that ſame mayſter doctour was butler in the ſame houſe, whereof I was maiſter and praiour: […]

1532, Thomas More, “The Confutacion of [William] Tyndale’s Aunswere […]. The Eyght Booke in which is Confuted Doctour [Robert] Barnes Church.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, page 791, column 1:

(Christianity) A high-ranking member of a religious house or religious order.

In an abbey, the person ranking just after the abbot, appointed as his deputy; a prior claustral.

прыёр

in an abbey, the person ranking just after the abbot, appointed as his deputy

The head of a priory (“a monastery which is usually a branch of an abbey”), or some other minor or smaller monastery; a prior conventual.

priori

head of a priory, or some other minor or smaller monastery

The head of the Arrouaisian, Augustinian, and formerly Premonstratensian religious orders.

priori

[I]t hath appertained to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York for the space of four hundred years or thereabouts to have spiritual jurisdiction over all your Grace's subjects dwelling within the provinces; […] in the meantime of vacation the same privilege resteth in the churches of Canterbury and York; and is executed by the prior, dean and chapter of the said churches; […]

1856, James Anthony Froude, “The Parliament of 1529”, in History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Death of Elizabeth, volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker and Son, […], →OCLC, pages 216–217:

An honorary position held by a priest in some cathedrals.


pathos

en-noun

pathos (countable and uncountable, plural pathoses)

From Ancient Greek πάθος (páthos, “suffering”).

uder

(theology, philosophy) In theology and existentialist ethics following Kierkegaard and Heidegger, a deep and abiding commitment of the heart, as in the notion of "finding your passion" as an important aspect of a fully lived, engaged life.


theocracy

en-noun

theocracy (countable and uncountable, plural theocracies)

/θiːˈɒkɹəsi/

From theo- + -cracy, originally from Ancient Greek θεοκρατία (theokratía, “rule of (a) God”), a term coined in the 1st century by Josephus (Against Apion 2.17) in reference to the ancient Israelite polity under the Mosaic covenant. Attested in English from the 1620s, first by John Donne in A Sermon upon the fifth of November 1622. being the Anniversary celebration of our Deliverance from the Powder Treason: "The Jews were onely under a Theocratie, an immediate government of God..."

uder

Near-synonym: clericocracy

Tibet was a Buddhist theocracy ruled by the Dalai Lama prior to Chinese annexation.

The Vatican City State is a sovereign city-state and a Christian theocracy ruled by the Pope.

Lynch certainly seems to think to. “We feel liberated from the prism of the past,” he says. “Ireland was a theocracy.”

2023 December 2, Frederick Studemann, quoting Paul Lynch, “Civilisation is so easily lost”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 11:

Government under the control of a state religion.

teokrasie

government under the control of a Church

For quotations using this term, see Citations:theocracy.