ἀμέθυστος
améthystos
G271 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A precious violet or purple quartz stone (amethyst), commonly used as a gem or ornament. In Greco-Roman contexts, associated with the belief that it could prevent intoxication. The term denotes specifically the mineral type, but also carries the connotation of its cultural value and attributed properties in antiquity.
Semantic Range
amethyst (violet or purple precious stone), a gem believed to prevent drunkenness, mineral quartz, object of ornamentation, symbol of sobriety
Root / Etymology
Compound of alpha privative (ἀ-, signifying 'not') and μεθύω ('to be drunk, intoxicated'), literally meaning 'not intoxicated' or 'that which prevents drunkenness'. The word references the belief in antiquity that the stone could ward off the effects of wine.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term ἀμέθυστος is rarely attested in pre-Koine Greek, but is well attested in Hellenistic and Roman-period literature, including medical, natural philosophical, and magical texts. The stone is mentioned in the Septuagint Exodus 28:19 and Revelation 21:20 as one of the stones in the priestly breastpiece and the New Jerusalem's foundations. The association with preventing drunkenness appears frequently in ancient Greek and Roman sources (e.g. Pliny, Aelian, Plutarch), though modern science does not support this property. English translations most often render ἀμέθυστος as 'amethyst,' which captures the specific mineral reference but omits the ancient folklore attached to the term.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Α (as a negative particle) and a derivative of μεθύω; the "amethyst" (supposed to prevent intoxication):--amethyst.
Root Family
μεθ- (améthystos) — to be drunk, intoxicated; negative: not drunk, sober
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G3178 | μέθη | states of intoxication |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G271-01 |
ἀμέθυστος | amethustos | N NOM F SG |
amethyst | amethyst sobriety-stone | amethyst | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G271-01 |
Revelation 21:20 | ἀμέθυστος | amethustos | N NOM F SG |
amethyst | amethyst sobriety-stone | amethyst |