theology

/θiˈɒlədʒi/thee-O-luh-jee

/θiˈɑlədʒi/thee-AH-luh-jee

Meaningthe study of God

Common meaning: the study of God and religious belief

theoa godLiddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), p. 668 · scan
loga word, saying; reckoning, reasonLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 476 · scan
ynoun ending: study, state or act

‘a god’ + ‘a word, saying’ → theology

Journey through time

theo — Ancient Greek θεός (theós) “a god” (path traced)
log — Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos) “a word, saying; reckoning, reason” (path traced)

Parts join in Latin as theologia.

Greekθεός (theós) + λόγος (lógos)‘a god + a word, saying’
Latintheologia
Middle Englishtheologiesource
Englishtheology‘the study of God and religious belief’ · today

theo also in: theocracy atheology polytheism

log also in: logic biology ecology geology zoology

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Ancient Greek θεός (theós) ‘a god’ + Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos) ‘a word, saying; reckoning, reason’.

Did you know (Greek logos meant…): our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), entry λόγος (lógos), p. 476 · dictionary scan

Did you know (Greek theos, a…): our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), entry θεός (theós), p. 668 · dictionary scan

Roots

θεός (theós) Ancient Greek “a god”
λόγος (lógos) Ancient Greek “a word, saying; reckoning, reason”

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app