Σέργιος

Sérgios

G4588 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A Roman personal name, used as a praenomen or nomen in the Roman naming system; when encountered in Greek sources such as the New Testament, it refers to a specific individual of the gens Sergia, a Roman family. The core meaning is as a proper noun denoting a member of the Roman gens characterized by this name. The word does not possess an abstract or common noun sense but instead functions exclusively as a personal (family) designation in Greco-Roman contexts.

Semantic Range

Roman family name (nomen gentilicium), personal name of a Roman individual

Root / Etymology

From Latin 'Sergius,' the nomen of a Roman gens (clan or family group). Greek Σέργιος represents the transliteration of the Latin. The Latin etymology is uncertain; no satisfactory Indo-European root has been identified.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Σέργιος occurs in the New Testament (Acts 13:7) referencing Sergius Paulus, a proconsul of Cyprus during Paul and Barnabas’s visit. The use of Σέργιος reflects the standard Greek practice of transliterating Roman names as personal identifiers for individuals with administrative or social prominence in Roman society. The appearance of such names in Greek texts of the period is indicative of the extensive cultural and administrative presence of Romans in eastern Mediterranean regions. Usage is always as a personal name, with no shift or expansion to other meanings. English translations retain 'Sergius' as a proper name; this reflects the original usage accurately. No evidence exists for alternate uses or for the term carrying ethnic, cultural, or religious implications in itself. The name is occasionally attested in inscriptions and papyri referring to historical Romans unrelated to the biblical text.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Latin origin; Sergius, a Roman:--Sergius.

Root Family

Σέργιος (Sergios) — Roman personal name, member of the gens Sergia, Roman family designation

Root Σεργι- to denote a person of the Roman gens Sergia, to serve as a Roman personal name

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4588-01 Σεργίῳ sergio N DAT M SG Sergius to Sergius Sergios 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4588-01 Acts 13:7 Σεργίῳ sergio N DAT M SG Sergius to Sergius Sergios