Word journey
The word Bible
the books; scripture
The journey
| Form | Language | Date | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| kbn | Egyptian · Ancient Egyptian Religion | 2,600 BCE | the city of Byblos (records of Sneferu) |
| Gubla | Akkadian (Amarna letters) · Canaanite Religion | 1,350 BCE | the city of Byblos |
| Gebal (gbl) | Phoenician · Canaanite Religion | 1,000 BCE | "well of the god", the city |
| Býblos / býblos | Ancient Greek · Ancient Greek Religion | 450 BCE | the city; Egyptian papyrus |
| biblíon | Ancient Greek · Ancient Greek Religion | 400 BCE | scroll, book (diminutive) |
| tà biblía | Koine Greek · Judaism | 150 BCE | "the books", the Jewish scriptures |
| tà biblía | Koine Greek · Christianity | 387 CE | both Testaments together (John Chrysostom) |
| biblia | Medieval Latin · Roman Catholicism | 900 CE | the Bible (read as feminine singular) |
| bible | Middle English · Christianity | 1325 CE | the Bible (via Old French) |
What is certain and what is not
Greek byblos ("papyrus") is usually derived from Byblos, the port that shipped Egyptian papyrus, though Wikipedia hedges this as "possibly". Medieval Latin misread the neuter plural biblia ("books") as a feminine singular, "the Book".