ὠόν
ōón
G5609 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Egg; specifically, the oval reproductive body produced by birds, reptiles, and certain other animals. In context, refers to a bird's egg as a unit of food, offering, or natural object, but can more generally denote any kind of egg in biological or figurative usage.
Semantic Range
egg (bird's), egg (of reptiles or other animals), egg as food, egg as symbol of potential or origin (rare or poetic contexts)
Root / Etymology
Primary Greek noun, likely of onomatopoeic or naturalistic origin, imitative of the round form. No clear derivation from other Greek roots; possible cognates in other Indo-European languages, but precise origin uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ὠόν appears in both classical and Koine Greek primarily to refer to a bird's egg, including as a food item (cf. literary use in Aristophanes, Plato). In the Septuagint and the New Testament (e.g., Luke 11:12), it is used in comparison and everyday discourse, highlighting familiarity with eggs as a household or marketplace item. The term is not metaphorically extended in biblical Greek, but is occasionally used in poetic comparison in earlier works (e.g., Pindar). English translations accurately render it as 'egg,' though the cultural associations might vary: in antiquity, eggs also symbolized potential life or were seen in ritual/culinary contexts. The Greek term is more restricted in scope than the Hebrew בֵּיצָה (bēṣāh), which also primarily refers to an egg but could occasionally be used metaphorically.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
apparently a primary word; an "egg":--egg.
Root Family
ὠόν (ōon) — egg, reproductive body, oval object
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5609-01 |
ᾠόν | oon | N ACC N SG |
an egg | an egg | an egg | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5609-01 |
Luke 11:12 | ᾠόν | oon | N ACC N SG |
an egg | an egg | an egg |