Οὐρβανός

Ourbanós

G3773 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Proper name; Urbanus, a male personal name of Latin origin used in the New Testament for a member of the Christian assembly in Rome. The core meaning, derived from Latin, is 'of the city' or 'city-dweller,' but as a personal name in Greek texts, it functions as an identifier for a specific individual rather than conveying its semantic content.

Semantic Range

Urbanus (personal name), a Christian man addressed by Paul in Rome; no broader lexical meaning in Greek beyond usage as a proper name

Root / Etymology

Greek Οὐρβανός is a direct transliteration of the Latin name Urbanus, which derives from Latin 'urbs' (city). The Latin adjective 'urbanus' means 'of the city, refined, urbane.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Οὐρβανός appears in the New Testament only in Romans 16:9, greeting a member of the Roman Christian community. The use of the Latin name reflects the social and linguistic diversity of the early Roman congregations, where many members bore Roman names, whether of citizen, freedman, or slave origin. As a personal name in Greek contexts, Οὐρβανός did not carry explicit connotations of 'urbanity' or social class for speakers, but simply functioned as a proper noun. Classical and Hellenistic Greek had no native equivalent; Οὐρβανός is an example of increasing Latin influence on personal naming in Greek-speaking communities of the Roman period. English translations traditionally preserve the transliteration 'Urbanus' or 'Urban'; any underlying Latin meaning is not intended in the New Testament context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Latin origin; Urbanus (of the city, "urbane"), a Christian:--Urbanus.

Root Family

Οὐρβανός (Ourbanos) — proper name, Urbanus, city-dweller (Latin origin)

Root Οὐρβαν- proper name, Urbanus, city-dweller (from Latin origin)

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3773-01 Οὐρβανὸν ourbanon N ACC M SG Urbanus Urbanus Ourbanos 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3773-01 Romans 16:9 Οὐρβανὸν ourbanon N ACC M SG Urbanus Urbanus Ourbanos