Oikodomeō
/oj.ko.doˈme.oː/noun
An Ancient Greek verb meaning to build, construct, strengthen, or edify.
Did you know?In the New Testament, oikodomeō shifts from physical construction to strengthening a community or person spiritually, giving rise to the English theological sense of “edify.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dem-
“To build or construct.”
Mycenaean Greek
Greek
woikos
“House or dwelling; an early form related to later Greek oikos.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
οἶκος (oikos)
“House, household, or family estate.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
δέμω (demō)
“To build or construct.”
Classical Greek
Greek
οἰκοδομέω (oikodomeō)
“To build a house; figuratively, to build up or strengthen.”
Koine Greek
Greek
οἰκοδομέω (oikodomeō)
“To construct, restore, or spiritually edify.”
Modern English
English
oikodomeō
“A scholarly transliteration used in biblical and theological writing for the Greek verb “to build up” or “edify.””