Eikon
/ˈaɪ.kɒn/noun
An icon or sacred image, especially in Eastern Christian tradition.
Did you know?In Byzantine Christianity, an eikon was not merely decorative art but a devotional image treated as a sacred connection to the figure represented.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weyk-
“To be like or resemble; the reconstructed root behind the Greek concept of likeness.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
εἴκω (eíkō)
“To resemble or be like.”
Classical Greek
Greek
εἰκών (eikṓn)
“A likeness, image, portrait, or representation.”
Koine Greek
Greek
εἰκών (eikṓn)
“An image or representation; later, a sacred Christian image.”
Medieval Greek
Greek
eikōn
“A devotional image used in Eastern Christian worship.”
Modern English
English
eikon
“A transliterated or specialized form of icon, especially referring to an Eastern Christian sacred image.”
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