Λίνος

Línos

G3044 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A personal name Linus, referring to an individual associated with early assemblies of followers of Jesus. The word is used as a proper noun, designating a specific person; it is unrelated in meaning to the possible etymological root ('flax, linen'), and serves only as an identifier.

Semantic Range

personal name Linus; no semantic range beyond designation as a proper noun

Root / Etymology

Possibly derived from λίνον ('flax, linen'), but as a proper name, its etymology is uncertain and does not carry over semantic meaning from the common noun. The name Linus appears in Greek and Latin literary traditions as well, and may ultimately have pre-Greek or non-Greek origins.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Λίνος occurs in the New Testament only in 2 Timothy 4:21 as a personal name of a companion of Paul. The name is attested in Greek literature, myth, and epigraphy: in mythology, Linus is the name of a legendary musician or poet, a figure of lamentation, and common in both Greek and Roman contexts by the Hellenistic and Roman periods as a personal name for men. The usage in the New Testament lacks any mythological or cultic connotations: it only serves as a proper name. English translations traditionally transliterate the term as 'Linus' rather than translating it. No evidence links this name with specific social or religious roles apart from its individual bearer.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

perhaps from λίνον; Linus, a Christian:--Linus.

Root Family

Λίνος (Linos) — proper name (personal name)

Root λίν- (proper noun; no core verbal or nominal meaning in usage as a name)

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3044-01 Λίνος linos N NOM M SG Linus Linus Linos 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3044-01 2 Timothy 4:21 Λίνος linos N NOM M SG Linus Linus Linos