Latin word: ETERNAL/ETERNUS

[Brett]

Hello,

I am studying some of history translations and Hebrew/Greek manuscriputs. I know that origianal manusctripts scripture never wrote "eternal, eternity, everylasting" etc. Jerome translated from Greek LXX/N.T. manuscripts scripture in about 382 A.D. Jerome did error words translated in Latin language from Greek manuscripts. He wrote "Eternal/Eternus" in Latin. My question is, did 'eternal/eternus' mean endless time to Latin's culture? Or mean age ? I know English word 'eternal' mean  endless time. Sometime words in English and Latin are different meaning to them just as German, Japan, etc. If you know the history of Latin word eternal/eternus mean endless time or age, let me know. I will be appreciate it. Thanks

[Sonia]

Hi Brett,

Here's the definiton from //www.etymonline.com :

eternal
   c.1366 (in variant form eterne), from O.Fr. eternal, from L.L. æternalis, from L. æternus contraction of æviternus "of great age," from ævum "age." Eternity first attested c.1374. In the Mercian hymns, L. æternum is glossed by O.E. ecnisse.

HTH,
Sonia

[Brett]

Sonia,

Thank you for the info of address website. Is "of great age" mean endless time to Latin?

[Sonia]

Sonia,

Thank you for the info of address website. Is "of great age" mean endless time to Latin?

I cant say for certain, but I think it just means "very old."
Sonia

[oneofthefew]

Hi Brett,

I'm new to this forum and I came across your post. I hope I can give inputs concerning your question.

Out of my own curiosity, I tried to search for its literal meaning in latin and it seem to mean Eternal. Check the link below:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3D%231414

I hope this helps.

oneofthefew

[skydreamers]

Your post caused me to remember what Ray said in his letter to Hagee:



"It may be laid down as a rule that no language had, for some time after the first century A.D., any term to denote eternity." (Whence Eternity?, By: Alexander Thomson, p. 5). That's a telling statement. Not only doesn't the Hebrew or Greek Scriptures use a word meaning "eternity" or "endless time" in the original texts, it was impossible for them to do so. The Hebrew and Greek Languages had no word that meant "endless time" or "eternity." And further, no one has ever found such a word in ANY LANGUAGE before the second century to denote "endless time" or "eternity."

http://bible-truths.com/hagee1.htm



Peace,
Diana

[Brett]

Hi Brett,

I'm new to this forum and I came across your post. I hope I can give inputs concerning your question.

Out of my own curiosity, I tried to search for its literal meaning in latin and it seem to mean Eternal. Check the link below:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3D%231414

I hope this helps.

oneofthefew

Welcome to forum!

Thanks for the website. In history of 300's A.D. the Latin word eternus/aeternus mean 'age' like period of time, but today, they change in different mean eternal instead of 'age'. For example, hundreds years ago, 'gay' mean happy but today mean homosexual. Most of ancients words for meaning are no longer same meaning as today. Not only Latin, but Hebrew, Greek, etc. They change the meaning than in ancients. Jerome never believe eternus is endless.

Brett