Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “idolatry” come from?

Idolatry comes from Old French idolatrie, from Latin idolatria, from Latin idololatria, from Ancient Greek εἰδωλολατρία, composed of εἴδωλον "image" and -λατρεία "worship."

idolatry (English): The worship of idols; The excessive admiration of...

Definitions

  1. The worship of idols; The excessive admiration of...

Ancestry of “idolatry”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchydolatrie—
2Old Frenchidolatrieidolatry
3Latinīdōlatrīa—
4Latinīdōlolatrīa—
5Ancient Greekεἰδωλολατρείᾱ—
6Ancient Greekεἴδωλονphantom, ghost; shape, figure, image; image of...
7Ancient GreekεἶδοςThat which is seen: form, image, shape;...
8Spanish-scopio-scope
9Latin-scopium—
10Ancient GreekσκοπέωI look, look at, behold; I examine, inspect; 413...
11Ancient Greekσκοπόςwatcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout
12Ancient GreekσκέπτομαιI look at, examine; I examine, consider, think
13Proto-Hellenicsképťomaito look at
14Proto-Indo-Europeanspéḱyetito be looking at, to keep looking at
15Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe

Words derived from “idolatry”

  • idolatrous
  • idolatrously
  • unidolatrous
  • idolatrousness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- →