oracle
/ˈɒr.ə.kəl/
noun
Origin
Latin
oraculum — a divine announcement or place of prophecy
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person or agency considered to provide wise counsel or prophetic predictions, especially those thought to be inspired by a deity.
- A place at which divine advice or prophecy was sought, such as the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.
Literal older meaning
one who speaks
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
oracle
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
In the ancient world, particularly in Greece, oracles were pivotal to state decisions and personal guidance. The most famous was the Oracle of Delphi, where the Pythia, a priestess, delivered cryptic responses to seekers. The term evolved from the specific religious site to mean any infallible source of truth.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*ōr-
“to speak, utter”
Root associated with mouth or speaking
- Latin
orare
“to speak, pray”
- Latin
oraculum
“divine message, mouth of a god”
Addition of suffix -culum denoting instrument or place
- Old French
oracle
“prophetic utterance”
- Middle English
oracle
“prophecy, person giving prophecy”
Connections
Word parts
or-
root
to speak
-acle
suffix
instrument or container
Related across languages
French
oracle
Spanish
oráculo
oracle
Explore next
Related to oracle
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.