Rufus, the Red One (masculine singular, accusative)
| Root | Ῥοῦφος (Rhouphos) |
| Core Meanings | red, red-haired, ruddy one |
| Semantic Range | personal name meaning red or red-haired; possibly indicating physical appearance or family designation |
| Conceptual Significance | Rufus is named in Mark 15:21 as the son of Simon of Cyrene, suggesting he was known to the early believing community. The preservation of his name may indicate his or his family’s recognized role within the early assembly. |
| Morphological Notes | Gr,N,,,,,AMS — Noun, accusative case, masculine gender, singular number; proper name of Latin origin used in Greek form. |
| Rendering Rationale | The lemma Ῥοῦφος derives from Latin "rufus," meaning "red" or "red-haired." Rendering it as "the Red One" preserves the root sense behind the proper name, while noting the accusative masculine singular form reflects its grammatical function as a direct object in the sentence. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)