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νῶτος

nōtos

G3577 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

The back of the human body, particularly the part opposite the chest; in a physical context, the rear or dorsal surface of a person or animal. In literary and metaphorical usage, can denote the backside or hinder part of anything.

Semantic Range

back (of a person or animal), back side, dorsal surface, rear part (literary/metaphoric)

Root / Etymology

Etymology uncertain. The word νῶτος is a noun, possibly of pre-Greek origin, as the formation does not correspond to common Greek roots for 'back.' There are no evident cognates within Greek or Indo-European. Occasionally linked with a possible relationship to Latin 'notum' (back), but this is unsubstantiated.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Attested in classical Greek from Homer onward, νῶτος refers primarily to the back of a person or animal, often as the site of blows or burdens (e.g., being struck on the back, carrying burdens). In both literary and medical Greek, it unambiguously names the dorsal side of the body. In the Septuagint and the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 5:39), νῶτος specifically denotes the physical 'back' of a person, usually in contexts of being struck or afflicted. Standard English translations render it simply as 'back,' which accurately reflects its primary meaning. There are metaphorical uses in Hellenistic Greek, but in biblical contexts, the term is limited to the anatomical referent. νῶτος does not overlap semantically with terms for the 'shoulders' (ὦμος) or 'spine' (ῥάχις), except for their physical proximity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain affinity; the back:--back.

Root Family

νῶτος (nōtos) — back, rear part, dorsal surface

Root uncertain to denote the back (anatomical), rear part

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3577-01 νῶτον noton N ACC M SG back the back back 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3577-01 Romans 11:10 νῶτον noton N ACC M SG back the back back
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