Κυρία
Kyría
G2959 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name or title used for a woman; most likely a term of respect meaning 'lady', but also possibly functioning as a proper name unique to the addressed woman. The primary lexical sense is 'lady' as the feminine form paralleling 'master' or 'lord', indicating a woman of authority, social standing, or dignity; in some contexts, especially 2 John 1, it may be used as a proper name Kyriā.
Semantic Range
woman of authority, lady, female dignitary, (possibly) formal address to a woman, proper name (Kyriā/Cyria in some interpretations)
Root / Etymology
Feminine form of κύριος (kyrios, 'lord', 'master', or 'sir'). The suffix -α (common for feminine personal names or titles).
Historical & Contextual Notes
Κυρία is attested as a term of respect meaning 'lady' in both literary and non-literary papyri from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, parallel to how κύριος is used for 'sir', 'lord', or 'master'. In context such as 2 John 1—the only biblical occurrence—it could be interpreted as a term of address ('the elect lady') or as a personal name. Early Christian tradition and some translations treat it as a name ('Cyria'), but most modern scholarship prefers the appellative sense, addressing a woman of standing, whether individually or metaphorically as a community. The title does not denote specific religious office but social respect or status. English translations sometimes render it as 'lady' and sometimes as a proper name; the full nuance is context-dependent and not fully captured in either English rendering, as 'lady' may lack the social weight and 'Cyria' is unattested outside this context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of κύριος; Cyria, a Christian woman:--lady.
Root Family
Κυρία (Kyria) — authority, lordship, mastership, respect
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2959-01 |
κυρίᾳ | kuria | N DAT F SG |
lady | to the lady | Kyria | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2959-01 |
2 John 1:1 | κυρίᾳ | kuria | N DAT F SG |
lady | to the lady | Kyria |
G2959-01 |
2 John 1:5 | κυρία | kuria | N VOC F SG |
lady | to the lady | Kyria |