Etymograph

English

Gehenna

Gehenna comes from Ecclesiastical Latin gehenna ‘Gehenna, hell’, and goes back to Ancient Greek γέεννα.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγέενναgéenna
  2. Ecclesiastical Latinc. 200–1500gehenna‘Gehenna, hell’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1833Gehenna

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγέενναgéenna
  2. Ecclesiastical Latinc. 200–1500gehenna‘Gehenna, hell’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1833Gehenna

Earliest quotation: 1833, Selumiel: “The people obeyed his commandment, and succeeding ages followed…”

The story

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin gehenna, from Ancient Greek γέεννα (géenna), from Hebrew גֵּיהִנּוֹם (ge'henom, “hell”, literally “valley of Hinnom”), named after the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem, which was constantly filled with the waste of the city, which was then burnt. Heinous deeds are also associated with this valley, as during the time when Jerusalem was ruled by non-Jews (referred to in scriptures simply as 'pagans') child sacrifice was practiced there.

Every English word from Ancient Greek γέεννα

Today it means

name In rabbinical literature and Christian and Islamic scripture, the place where the souls of the wicked go after death, where they suffer eternal damnation or annihilation.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek γέεννα / Gehenna

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