English
anathema
Anathema comes from Late Latin anathema ‘curse, person cursed, offering’, from Ancient Greek ἀνάθεμα ‘something dedicated, especially dedicated to…’, and ultimately from ἀνατίθημι ‘to set upon, offer as a votive gift’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀνατίθημιanatíthēmi‘to set upon, offer as a votive gift’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀνάθεμαanáthema‘something dedicated, especially dedicated to eternal damnation’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEanathema‘curse, person cursed, offering’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀνατίθημιanatíthēmi‘to set upon, offer as a votive gift’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀνάθεμαanáthema‘something dedicated, especially dedicated to eternal damnation’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEanathema‘curse, person cursed, offering’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611same form
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ,…”
A compound of ἀνά ‘upon’ + τίθημι ‘to put, place’
Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- ‘on, onto’
Proto-Hellenic *aná ‘up, upon’
Ancient Greek ἀνά ‘upon’
Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- ‘to put, place’
Proto-Indo-European *dʰé-dʰeh₁-ti
Proto-Hellenic *t(e/i)tʰēmi
Ancient Greek τίθημι ‘to put, place’
The story
The Ancient Greek term was influenced by Hebrew חרם (herem), leading to the sense of "accursed," especially in Ecclesiastical writers.
Every English word from Ancient Greek ἀνατίθημι
Today it means
noun A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, often accompanied by excommunication; something denounced as accursed.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἀνατίθημι / anathema