Agnus
/ˈæɡ.nəs/noun
A Latin word meaning “lamb,” especially used in Christian liturgy and religious art.
Did you know?In the Latin prayer “Agnus Dei,” meaning “Lamb of God,” the lamb symbolizes Christ and echoes ancient sacrificial traditions in which a lamb represented innocence offered to the divine.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂egʷ-no-
“Lamb; a young sheep”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀμνός (amnós)
“Lamb, especially one used in sacrifice”
Classical Latin
Latin
agnus
“Lamb”
Late Antiquity
Ecclesiastical Latin
Agnus Dei
“Lamb of God; a liturgical title for Christ”
Middle English
English
agnus
“A representation or emblem of the Lamb of God”
Modern English
English
agnus
“A lamb symbol, devotional object, or reference to the “Agnus Dei” prayer”
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