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Ἀμπλίας

Amplías

G291 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A personal name, Amplias; used as a proper noun referring to an individual cited in early Christian contexts, specifically greeted by Paul in Romans 16:8. The name itself carries the sense of 'enlarged' or 'broad' from its Latin origin. As a name, it does not possess independent meaning apart from identifying the bearer, but it likely would have conveyed associations of broadness or increase to contemporary audiences.

Semantic Range

personal name; derived from 'enlarged' or 'large', proper noun, no additional senses in biblical sources

Root / Etymology

Borrowed from the Latin name Ampliatus, which is derived from the Latin verb 'amplio' meaning 'to enlarge, make greater.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Ἀμπλίας appears only in Romans 16:8, where Paul greets a member of the Roman community with this name. The form is a Hellenized adaptation of the Latin Ampliatus, indicating the broad cultural and linguistic mix of early Roman congregations. There is no evidence the name was common in the Greek-speaking eastern Mediterranean; its occurrence aligns with its use as a Roman slave or freedman name, as attested in Latin inscriptions. The semantic value ('enlarged') is etymological rather than lexical in Koine contexts; standard translations render Ἀμπλίας simply as the proper name 'Amplias,' not reflecting its original adjectival sense. The name does not appear elsewhere in the New Testament or in known Septuagint manuscripts. Later patristic sources sometimes identify Amplias as an early Christian leader, but these attributions reflect later tradition rather than lexical information.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

contracted for Latin ampliatus (enlarged); Amplias, a Roman Christian:--Amplias.

Root Family

Ἀμπλίας (Amplias) — personal name; enlarged, broadened

Root ἀμπλ- to make broad, to enlarge

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G291-01 Ἀμπλιᾶτον ampliaton N ACC M SG Ampliatus Amplias Amplias 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G291-01 Romans 16:8 Ἀμπλιᾶτον ampliaton N ACC M SG Ampliatus Amplias Amplias
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