Λωΐς
Lōḯs
G3090 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name: Lois; used as a proper name for a woman in the New Testament, specifically the grandmother of Timothy. No meaning is assigned to the word beyond its function as a personal name in the available sources. Semantic range is restricted to its use as a women's name.
Semantic Range
a personal name for a woman, specifically the grandmother of Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:5
Root / Etymology
etymology uncertain. Not clearly derived from any attested Greek noun or adjective. Possible origins include a loan from another language spoken in the eastern Mediterranean, but no definitive etymology is established.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Λωΐς appears only once in extant Greek literature, in the New Testament (2 Timothy 1:5), where she is mentioned as the grandmother of Timothy and described as having sincere faith. There is no record of its usage in the Septuagint, other Jewish-Greek literature, or wider Hellenistic sources, suggesting it may have been an uncommon or non-Greek name. It is possible Λωΐς was a name of Semitic or Anatolian origin adopted into Greek form, but there is no evidence for its precise provenance; thus, theological or symbolic interpretations about the name's meaning are unwarranted. English translations simply transliterate the word as Lois, which gives no information about identity or meaning beyond its role as a proper name.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of uncertain origin; Lois, a Christian woman:--Lois.
Root Family
Λωΐς (Lōïs) — proper name, personal name
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3090-01 |
Λωΐδι | loidi | N DAT F SG |
Lois | to Lois | Lois | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3090-01 |
2 Timothy 1:5 | Λωΐδι | loidi | N DAT F SG |
Lois | to Lois | Lois |