ekklesia
/ɛk.klɛ.sía/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
ἐκκαλεῖν — to summon or call out
Overview
Meaning Now
- An assembly of citizens in an ancient Greek city-state called together for legislative or political purposes.
- The Christian church as a body of believers or a specific congregation.
Literal older meaning
that which is called out
Language path
Ancient Greek → Koine Greek → English (transliterated)
Earliest form
ἐκκλησία
Earliest period
5th century BCE
Journey
In ancient Athens, the ekklesia was the primary legislative body where adult male citizens voted on laws and policy. Early Christians adopted the term to describe themselves not as a temple (naos), but as a 'called-out' group of people, emphasizing the community over the physical building.
Evolution
- 5th century BCE (Ancient Greek)
ἐκκλησία
“assembly of citizens”
Political gathering in a polis
- 1st century CE (Koine Greek)
ἐκκλησία
“congregation of the faithful”
Religious usage in the Septuagint and New Testament
- Late Latin
ecclesia
“church building or body of believers”
Direct borrowing from Greek
Connections
Word parts
ἐκ-
prefix
out
καλεῖν
root
to call
Related across languages
Latin
ecclesia
church assembly
French
church
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Related to ekklesia
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.