Subdeities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to lesser divine beings or spirits that serve a higher deity within a religious hierarchy
2. Designating minor gods or supernatural entities that hold specific roles beneath a principal god in various mythologies
3. Characterizing those inferior deities that are associated with particular aspects of life or nature, subordinate to a more powerful divine being

Etymology: "Subdeities" is the plural of "subdeity," a formation from the Latin prefix "sub-", meaning "under" or "below," joined to "deity." The result describes a being that stands beneath a supreme god in the divine hierarchy, which is exactly the role the word names in the plural: a crowd of lesser gods with assigned duties. The base word "deity" traces back through Old French "deité" to Latin "deitas," from "deus," god. The prefix does the real work here. Attaching "sub-" to an existing noun is a common English pattern, used for "subdivision," "subcommittee," and many other words, and "subdeity" follows the same logic: a deity placed beneath another. Because the word is a plain combination of two familiar parts, its meaning is transparent, and it is most often used when writing about comparative religion or mythology, where scholars need a single term for these figures.

Synonyms: demigods, spirits, minor deities