Bible

Bible
Bible (n.) early 14c., from Anglo-Latin biblia, O.Fr. bible (13c.) "the Bible," also any large book generally, from Medieval and Late Latin biblia (neuter plural interpreted as feminine singular), in phrase biblia sacra "holy books," a translation of Greek ta biblia to hagia "the holy books," from Gk. biblion "paper, scroll," the ordinary word for "book," originally a diminutive of byblos "Egyptian papyrus," possibly so called from BYBLOS (Cf. Byblos) (modern Jebeil, Lebanon), the name of the Phoenician port from which Egyptian papyrus was exported to Greece (Cf. PARCHMENT (Cf. parchment)). Or the place name might be from the Greek word, which then would be probably of Egyptian origin. The Christian scripture was referred to in Greek as Ta Biblia as early as c.223. Bible replaced O.E. biblioðece (see BIBLIOTHEK (Cf. bibliothek)) as the ordinary word for "the Scriptures." Figurative sense of "any authoritative book" is from 1804.
Walter Scott and Pope's Homer were reading of my own election, but my mother forced me, by steady daily toil, to learn long chapters of the Bible by heart; as well as to read it every syllable through, aloud, hard names and all, from Genesis to the Apocalypse, about once a year; and to that discipline -- patient, accurate, and resolute -- I owe, not only a knowledge of the book, which I find occasionally serviceable, but much of my general power of taking pains, and the best part of my taste in literature. ... [O]nce knowing the 32nd of Deuteronomy, the 119th Psalm, the 15th of 1st Corinthians, the Sermon on the Mount, and most of the Apocalypse, every syllable by heart, and having always a way of thinking with myself what words meant, it was not possible for me, even in the foolishest times of youth, to write entirely superficial or formal English .... [John Ruskin, "Fors Clavigera," 1871]

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • bible — bible …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • BIBLE — EN AMONT et en aval du moment décisif de sa constitution dernière, par le versant de sa genèse et par celui de son destin, la Bible a marqué non seulement de son empreinte mais aussi en quelque sorte de son être la nature même d’une importante… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Bible — Bi ble (b[imac] b l), n. [F. bible, L. biblia, pl., fr. Gr. bibli a, pl. of bibli on, dim. of bi blos, by blos, book, prop. Egyptian papyrus.] 1. A book. [Obs.] Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 2. {The Book} by way of eminence, that is, the book which is… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bible — BIBLE. s. f. L Écriture sainte, l ancien et le nouveau Testament. La sainte Bible. Le Texte de la Bible. Les Passages de la Bible. La Version de la Bible. Bible Latine. Bible Grecque. Bible Françoise. Bible Polyglotte …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • bible — BIBLE. s. f. L Escriture sainte, le vieux & le nouveau Testament. La sainte Bible. le texte de la Bible. les passages de la Bible. la version de la Bible. Bible Latine. Bible Grecque. Bible Françoise. Bible Polyglotte …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Bible —    Bible, the English form of the Greek name Biblia, meaning books, the name which in the fifth century began to be given to the entire collection of sacred books, the Library of Divine Revelation. The name Bible was adopted by Wickliffe, and… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • Bible — [bī′bəl] n. [ME & OFr < ML biblia < Gr, collection of writings, in LGr(Ec), the Scriptures (pl. of biblion, book) < biblos, papyrus, after Byblos (now Dschebēl), Phoen city from which papyrus was imported] 1. the sacred book of… …   English World dictionary

  • Bible 21 — Die Bible 21 (eigentlich Bible, překlad 21. století) ist eine moderne tschechische Bibelübersetzung. Diese Übersetzung stellt erst die dritte vollständige tschechische Bibelübersetzung aus den Originalsprachen nach der Kralitzer Bibel (16.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • bible — England, Wales also bible of documents See transaction bible Practical Law Dictionary. Glossary of UK, US and international legal terms. www.practicallaw.com. 2010 …   Law dictionary

  • Bible — Use a capital initial when it refers to the scriptures collectively (Read your Bible), but a small initial when it refers to a copy of the book (three bibles) or is allusive (Wisden is the cricketer s bible) …   Modern English usage

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