Word journey
The word hosanna
a cry of praise (originally "save, we pray")
The journey
| Form | Language | Date | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| hôšîʿâ-nnāʾ | Biblical Hebrew · Judaism | 400 BCE | "save, we pray" (Psalm 118:25) |
| hōsanná | Koine Greek (Gospels) · Christianity | 70 CE | shout of acclamation at the entry into Jerusalem |
| (h)ōsanna | Late Latin · Christianity | 400 CE | liturgical acclamation |
| osanna | Old English · Christianity | 1000 CE | praise (respelled hosanna later) |
What is certain and what is not
A plea in Psalm 118 became a shout of jubilation in the Gospels, and how that happened is debated. The Greek likely came through an Aramaic form (oshana), which is not separately dated here.