Illustrations of English words derived from the Greek in the New Testament.
Gaylon West.
History of English word fornicate (v.)
1550s, "have illicit sexual intercourse" (said of an unmarried person), from Late Latin fornicatus.
porno-graphy (n.)
1843, "ancient obscene painting, especially in temples of Bacchus," from French pornographie, from Greek pornographos "(one) depicting prostitutes," from porne "prostitute," originally "bought, purchased" (with an original notion, probably of "female slave sold for prostitution"), related to pernanai "to sell," from PIE root *per- (5) "to traffic in, to sell" (see price* (n.)) + graphein "to write" (see -graphy). A brothel in ancient Greek was a porneion.
*price: Greek porne "prostitute," originally "bought, purchased," pernanai "to sell;" Lithuanian perku "I buy").
- http://www.etymonline.com/ Thayer Definition:
1) illicit sexual intercourse
1a) adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.
1b) sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18
1c) sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mark 10:11, 12 [gw- note: this is a modern interpreted meaning for the verb form of adultery and not fornication.*]
2) metaphorically the worship of idols
2a) of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G4203 Strong's Dictionary: From G4203; harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively idolatry: - fornication.
*Jesus' reference in Matthew 5 is to the divorce authorized by Moses in Deuteronomy 24:1 where the word "uncleanness" H6172 is used instead of fornication. The prophets tell of God "divorcing" Israel for fornication.
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