Etymograph

English

Thomas

Thomas comes from Ancient Greek Θωμᾶς, and goes back to Aramaic תאומא.

  1. Aramaicc. 1000 BCE–700 CEתאומא
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΘωμᾶςThōmâs
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEThōmās
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Thomas
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1611same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Aramaicc. 1000 BCE–700 CEתאומא
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΘωμᾶςThōmâs
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEThōmās
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Thomas
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1611same form

Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was…”

The story

In the gospel of John (11:16, 20:24), the Aramaic nickname is also translated into Greek, as δίδυμος m (dídumos).

Linked words

through Middle English Thomas

tom, tomfoolery

Today it means

noun An infidel or doubter.

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

Etymograph / Aramaic תאומא / Thomas

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