Καππαδοκία
Kappadokía
G2587 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A geographic region in central-eastern Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), known as Cappadocia. In Greek usage, Καππαδοκία refers specifically to this territory, its inhabitants, and matters pertaining to it. The term denotes the land or administrative district named Cappadocia, but can also refer metonymically to people originating from that region or their customs when context indicates.
Semantic Range
Cappadocia (region), people or things from Cappadocia, relating to Cappadocia as a province or territory
Root / Etymology
The word Καππαδοκία is of uncertain origin, but is thought to derive from an Old Persian or Anatolian (possibly Luwian or Hittite) place name. Transmitted into Greek through contact with Persian administration and later Hellenistic sources.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Καππαδοκία appears in Greek literature and administrative texts from the Classical period onward, notably in Herodotus, Xenophon, and later Hellenistic authors, always as a place-name. By the Roman period, it referred to a Roman province created from earlier kingdoms and satrapies. In the New Testament (e.g., Acts 2:9; 1 Peter 1:1), Καππαδοκία designates the region and its diaspora inhabitants, indicating the presence of Judean (Israelite) communities there by the first century CE. English translations render Καππαδοκία simply as 'Cappadocia'; this is an accurate rendering of the toponym but does not convey any further ethnic or cultural connotations beyond geographic reference. The word lacks inherent religious or ethnic meaning aside from the contextually determined reference to inhabitants or customs. In the Septuagint, Καππαδοκία as a name for a region of Asia Minor is largely absent, as the term is more prominent in Hellenistic-Roman-era writings.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of foreign origin; Cappadocia, a region of Asia Minor:--Cappadocia.
Root Family
Καππαδοκία (Kappadokia) — Cappadocia, the region, pertaining to Cappadocia
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2587-02 |
Καππαδοκίας | kappadokias | N GEN F SG |
of Cappadocia | of Cappadocia | of Cappadocia | 1 |
G2587-01 |
Καππαδοκίαν | kappadokian | N ACC F SG |
Cappadocia | Cappadocia | Cappadocia | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2587-01 |
Acts 2:9 | Καππαδοκίαν | kappadokian | N ACC F SG |
Cappadocia | Cappadocia | Cappadocia |
G2587-02 |
1 Peter 1:1 | Καππαδοκίας | kappadokias | N GEN F SG |
of Cappadocia | of Cappadocia | of Cappadocia |