Kyrios
/ˈkɪ.ri.ɒs/noun
An ancient Greek word meaning lord, master, or an authoritative figure, especially used as a title for God or Christ.
Did you know?In the Greek Septuagint, Kyrios was used to translate the divine name YHWH, making an ordinary word for “lord” a sacred substitute for the unpronounced name of God.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keu-
“A proposed Indo-European root associated with swelling, strength, or power; the deeper origin of Greek kyrios remains debated.”
Classical Greek
Greek
κύριος (kyrios)
“Having authority; lord, master, or owner.”
Hellenistic Greek
Greek
κύριος
“A title for a social superior, ruler, or deity; also used in formal address.”
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Septuagint Greek
κύριος
“The standard Greek rendering of the Hebrew divine name YHWH, conventionally represented as “Lord.””
1st Century CE
Koine Greek
κύριος
“A title applied to Jesus in early Christian texts, meaning Lord or sovereign.”
Modern English
English
kyrios
“A scholarly transliteration used in discussions of ancient Greek religion, Christianity, authority, and sacred titles.”