Anthropos
/ˈæn.θrə.pɒs/noun
A Greek word meaning “human being” or “person,” used in philosophy and theology.
Did you know?Anthropos is the source of modern words like anthropology and philanthropy, carrying the ancient Greek idea of the human being as a distinct, named category in thought and philosophy.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos)
“human being; person”
Late Antiquity
Greek
ἄνθρωπος
“used broadly in philosophy and theology for a human being or mortal”
16th Century
Latin
anthropus / anthropologia
“learned borrowing in scholarly Latin, especially in humanist and philosophical writing”
17th Century
English
anthropology
“the study of humans”
Modern English
English
anthropos
“a learned form referring to the human being, especially in academic or philosophical contexts”
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