Babylon
/ˈbæbɪlɒn/
noun
Origin
Akkadian
Bāb-ili — Gate of God
Overview
Meaning Now
- An ancient city on the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia, renowned for its wealth, power, and architectural achievements like the Hanging Gardens.
- A symbol of human pride, decadence, or a place of exile and spiritual decadence in various theological and cultural contexts.
Literal older meaning
Gate of God
Language path
Akkadian → Ancient Greek → English
Earliest form
Bāb-ili
Earliest period
18th century BCE
Journey
Babylon served as the capital of the Babylonian Empire and became synonymous with monumental architecture, including the Ishtar Gate and the ziggurat Etemenanki. In the Hebrew Bible, it is famously associated with the Babylonian Captivity and the Tower of Babel, representing a center of imperial power opposed to divine will.
Evolution
- Akkadian
Bāb-ili
“Gate of God”
A compound of 'bāb' (gate) and 'ili' (god).
- Ancient Greek
Babylōn
“The city of Babylon”
Hellenized form of the Akkadian original.
- Middle English
Babylon
“The biblical or historical city”
Adopted through Latin and Old French.
Connections
Word parts
Bāb
root
gate
ili
root
god
Related across languages
Hebrew
Babylon
Arabic
Bābil
Babylon
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.