Διονύσιος (G1354) — Greek Lexicon

Διονύσιος

Dionýsios

G1354 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A proper name referring to a male individual, originally meaning 'belonging to Dionysus' or 'devoted to Dionysus,' Dionysus being the Greek god associated with wine, festivity, and ecstasy. In Hellenistic contexts, used simply as a personal name without explicit connection to its original pagan associations.

Semantic Range

(proper name) Dionysius; historically 'devoted to Dionysus,' but in biblical and later Greek, used as a common given name without active pagan connotation

Root / Etymology

Διονύσιος is derived from Διόνυσος (Dionysos), the name of the Greek god Dionysus, with the adjectival suffix -ιος indicating 'belonging to' or 'descendant of.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Διονύσιος appears in the New Testament (Acts 17:34) as the name of an Athenian Areopagite who becomes a follower of Paul. In classical Greek, the name would be linked to religious or social associations with the cult of Dionysus, but by the Hellenistic and Roman periods, it functioned as a common personal name, often without any residual religious significance. The name is widespread in Greek epigraphy and literature. English translations sometimes leave the name transliterated as 'Dionysius.' There is no direct conceptual overlap with Judean or Israelite religious categories; the name instead reflects broader patterns of Greek onomastics.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from (Bacchus); reveller; Dionysius, an Athenian:--Dionysius.

Root Family

Διονύσιος (Dionysios) — belonging to Dionysus, connected with Dionysus, Dionysius (proper name)

Root Διονυσ- belonging to Dionysus, connected with Dionysus, (as a personal name) Dionysius

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G1354-01`	Διονύσιος	dionusios	`N NOM M SG`	Dionysius	Dionysius	Dionysios	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G1354-01`	Acts 17:34	Διονύσιος	dionusios	`N NOM M SG`	Dionysius	Dionysius	Dionysios

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