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Blogs > Neet2005 > Come On In....,


Neet2005
(Anita P.) 61F
2029 posts
2/24/2007 9:28 pm

Last Read:
2/25/2007 4:37 pm
God (word)

The earliest written form of the Germanic word "god" comes from the 6th century Christian Codex Argenteus. The English word itself descends from the Old English guþ from the Proto-Germanic *Ȝuđan. While hotly disputed, most agree on the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European form *ǵhu-tó-m, based on the root *ǵhau-, *ǵhau̯ǝ-, which meant "to call" or "to invoke". Alternatively, "Ghau" may be derived from a posthumously deified chieftain named "Gaut" – a name which sometimes appears for the Norse god Odin or one of his descendants. The Lombardic form of Odin, Godan, may derive from cognate Proto-Germanic *Ȝuđánaz.

The capitalized form "God" was first used in Ulfilas' Gothic translation of the New Testament, to represent the Greek Theos, and the Latin Deus (etymology "*Dyeus"). Because the development of English orthography was dominated by Christian texts, the capitalization (hence personalization and personal name) continues to represent a distinction between monotheistic "God" and the "gods" of pagan polytheism.

The name "God" now typically refers to the Abrahamic God of Judaism (El (god) YHVH), Christianity (God), and Islam (Allah). Though there are significant cultural divergences that are implied by these different names, "God" remains the common English translation for all. The name may signify any related or similar monotheistic deities, such as the early monotheism of Akhenaten and Zoroastrianism.



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