διετής
dietḗs
G1332 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
adjective: being of two years (in age or duration); two years old. Used to indicate that a person, animal, or object is in or has completed its second year. Most often utilized as an age descriptor.
Semantic Range
of two years, two years old (age of person or animal), lasting two years, being in the second year
Root / Etymology
Compound of δίς ('twice, two times') and ἔτος ('year'), forming an adjective meaning 'of two years'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term διετής functions as a standard Greek adjective indicating duration or age of two years. While rare, it appears in Hellenistic and Koine Greek, including the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 2:16), as well as in other contemporaneous literature to specify the age of children, animals, or the duration of events or objects. In the context of the New Testament, e.g. Matthew 2:16, it is used to describe infants approximately two years old, reflecting a common way to reference age without implying an exact day of birth. The word structure follows a recurring Greek pattern for ages (cf. μονοετής, τριετής) and parallels Hebrew markers for age in Hellenistic Jewish texts. English translations usually render it 'two years old' (referring to a person or animal), but in Greek it can reference anything having a duration of two years, not restricted to age; however, the Septuagint and New Testament usage most frequently concern age classification. There are no significant differences in meaning between classical, Septuagint, and New Testament usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from δίς and ἔτος; of two years (in age):--two years old.
Root Family
διετής (dietēs) — year, duration, cycle
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1332-01 |
διετοῦς | dietous | ADJ.S GEN M SG |
two years old | of a two-year-old | two years old | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1332-01 |
Matthew 2:16 | διετοῦς | dietous | ADJ.S GEN M SG |
two years old | of a two-year-old | two years old |