Biblicisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Expressions or phrases that originate from the Bible or are heavily influenced by biblical texts
2. Linguistic features or idiomatic formulations that reflect biblical language or themes in contemporary use
3. Terms or sayings that derive from scripture, often implying a moral or theological significance in everyday speech

Etymology: The Greek word "biblos" originally meant papyrus, the reed from which writing material was made, and then came to mean a written scroll or book. The plural "ta biblia," meaning "the books," was treated in Late Latin as a singular feminine noun, which gave English "Bible." "Biblical" comes from the Medieval Latin "biblicus," formed from the same root. "Biblicism" adds the suffix "-ism," which in English forms nouns for a doctrine, practice, or characteristic mode of expression. The "-ism" ending came into English through Latin and Old French from Greek "-ismos." A biblicism is therefore a distinctive way of speaking that draws on scripture. The plural "biblicisms" names the individual scriptural turns of phrase that have passed into ordinary speech. Because such phrases come from a text regarded as sacred, speakers often use them to suggest moral or theological weight, even when the context is secular.

Synonyms: scriptural phrases, biblical expressions