Disc Golf Course Review

		Disc Golf Course Review > Social Groups > Main > Ultimate Reality
Origins

Register	Members List	Social Groups
- View All Groups
- Your Group Messages
Search	Today's Posts	Mark Forums Read

Origins

Discussion Tools

05-18-2011 03:18 PM

bazillion

I'm interested in the origin of the sort of terms we're discussing here. Let's start with "religion", which according to etymonline.com comes to us from:

Quote:

c.1200, "state of life bound by monastic vows," also "conduct indicating a belief in a divine power," from Anglo-Fr. religiun (11c.), from O.Fr. religion "religious community," from L. religionem (nom. religio) "respect for what is sacred, reverence for the gods," in L.L. "monastic life" (5c.); according to Cicero, derived from relegare "go through again, read again," from re- "again" + legere "read" (see lecture). However, popular etymology among the later ancients (and many modern writers) connects it with religare "to bind fast" (see rely), via notion of "place an obligation on," or "bond between humans and gods." Another possible origin is religiens "careful," opposite of negligens. Meaning "particular system of faith" is recorded from c.1300.
To hold, therefore, that there is no difference in matters of religion between forms that are unlike each other, and even contrary to each other, most clearly leads in the end to the rejection of all religion in both theory and practice. And this is the same thing as atheism, however it may differ from it in name. [Pope Leo XIII, Immortale Dei, 1885]

Modern sense of "recognition of, obedience to, and worship of a higher, unseen power" is from 1530s.

05-18-2011 03:18 PM

bazillion

That last bit I find particularly interesting: if the modern sense of "recognition of, obedience to, and worship of a higher, unseen power" is from 1530s, what terminology was used prior to that to descibe the same thing? More appropriately, perhaps, were people's thoughts such before that time that such a description wasn't even necessary? In other words, did they consider religion so much a part and parcel of their lives that reference to recognition, obedience and worship of a higher power didnt' make sense to express in those terms?

05-18-2011 03:20 PM

bazillion

How about "church" (from the same source)?

Quote:

O.E. cirice "church, public place of worship, Christians collectively," from W.Gmc. *kirika (cf. O.S. kirika, O.N. kirkja, O.Fris. zerke, M.Du. kerke, O.H.G. kirihha, Ger. Kirche), from Gk. kyriake (oikia), kyriakon doma "Lord's (house)," from kyrios "ruler, lord," from PIE base *keue- "to swell" ("swollen," hence "strong, powerful"). Phonetic spelling from c.1200, established by 16c. For vowel evolution, see bury.

Gk. kyriakon (adj.) "of the Lord" was used of houses of Christian worship since c.300, especially in the East, though it was less common in this sense than ekklesia or basilike. An example of the direct Greek-to-Germanic progress of many Christian words, via the Goths; it was probably used by W.Gmc. people in their pre-Christian period. Also picked up by Slavic, via Germanic (cf. O.Slav. criky, Rus. cerkov). Romance and Celtic languages use variants of L. ecclesia. Fr. église (11c.) is from L. ecclesia.

Woops, the bosseth cometh - to be continued ...

Bookmarks

Discussion Tools

Mark This Discussion Read

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:33 AM.