English
Septuagint
Septuagint comes from Late Latin Septuaginta, from Latin translatio ‘translation by the seventy’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to sell, traffic in’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to sell, traffic in’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinter‘between’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpresas interpretes‘the 70 interpreters’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtranslatio‘translation by the seventy’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CESeptuaginta
- Englishearliest quotation 2022Septuagint
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to sell, traffic in’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinter‘between’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpresas interpretes‘the 70 interpreters’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtranslatio‘translation by the seventy’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CESeptuaginta
- Englishearliest quotation 2022Septuagint
Earliest quotation: 2022, William A. Ross, Postclassical Greek and Septuagint Lexicography: “Other important works appeared that continued the discussion about…”
The story
"The Seventy", a clipping of earlier descriptional names such as septuaginta translatio (‘translation by the seventy’) and septuaginta interpretes (‘the 70 interpreters’), calques of Koine Greek names such as οἱ ἐβδομήκοντα ἑρμηνευταί (hoi ebdomḗkonta hermēneutaí, “the 70 interpreters”) and οἱ Ο′ (hoi O′, “the LXX”), deriving from the popular (but probably mistaken) belief that its translation of the Torah had been produced in 72 days by a team of 72 Jewish scholars from Jerusalem (6 from each tribe) summoned to Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy II.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to sell, traffic in’
first, before, support, far, per, further, price, private, press, report, practice, fear, pre, primary, prior, opportunity, prime, appreciate, port, prize, afford, ford, practical, pregnant, forth, precious, privilege, parade, par, praise, ferry, pirate, fare, porch, pardon, primitive, prix, privy, prism, proton, 157 more
through Latin inter ‘between’
internal, intern, intestine, 7 more
through Latin interpres ‘the 70 interpreters’
Today it means
name The team of translators who produced the Septuagint.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / Septuagint