Wordwyrt

idol

/ˈaɪdəl/EYE-duhl
/ˈaɪdəl/EYE-duhl

Meaningan image

Common meaning: an image worshipped

Journey through time

  1. Aryan root · reconstructed√WID‘see, observe’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 372, p. 743 · scan
  2. Greekεἶδος; εἴδωλον‘form, shape’
  3. Latinidolum
  4. Frenchidole
  5. Middle Englishidolesource
  6. Englishmeaning shiftsform, shape → an image worshippedidol‘an image worshipped’ · today

idol also in: idolatryidyll

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Greek εἶδος; εἴδωλον ‘form, shape; an image’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), entry εἶδος, p. 414 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

idolatryidyll

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