English
messiah
Messiah comes from Ancient Greek Μεσσῑ́ᾱς, and goes back to Biblical Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ ‘anointed’.
- Biblical Hebrewc. 1000–200 BCEמָשִׁיחַmāšîaḥ‘anointed’
- Aramaicc. 1000 BCE–700 CEܡܫܺܝܚܳܐməšīḥā
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΜεσσῑ́ᾱςMessī́ās
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEMessīās
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Messyas
- Englishearliest quotation 1979messiah
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Biblical Hebrewc. 1000–200 BCEמָשִׁיחַmāšîaḥ‘anointed’
- Aramaicc. 1000 BCE–700 CEܡܫܺܝܚܳܐməšīḥā
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΜεσσῑ́ᾱςMessī́ās
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEMessīās
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Messyas
- Englishearliest quotation 1979messiah
Earliest quotation: 1979, Lawrence Mass, Psychiatry on Trial: “At its best, psychoanalysis is the classic therapeutic technique…”
Every English word from Biblical Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ
Today it means
noun The one who is ordained by God to lead the people of Israel, believed by Christians and Muslims to be Jesus Christ.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Biblical Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ / messiah