"God" means lesser deity

[GrowingSmaller]

The Online Etymological Dictionary states (link):

O.E. god was probably closer in sense to L. numen.
A better word to translate deus might have been P.Gmc. *ansuz, but this was only used of the highest deities in the Gmc. religion, and not of foreign gods, and it was never used of the Christian God.

Does this imply that we have derived the usage of the term 'God' from Germanic peoples who actually used that term to refer to lesser or secondary deities rather than the "true God"? So when we say "Our God is a mighty God" the pagans will be laughing in their graves?

 

[Catherineanne]

The Online Etymological Dictionary states (link):
Does this imply that we have derived the usage of the term 'God' from Germanic peoples who actually used that term to refer to lesser or secondary deities rather than the "true God"? So when we say "Our God is a mighty God" the pagans will be laughing in their graves?

No, because we speak New English, not Proto Germanic.

Meanwhile, if you read further, you might be interested to learn that the source of the word God denotes 'to offer sacrifice' or 'to invoke'. Which means that the name is certainly appropriate.

 

[ittarter]

Etymology has nothing to do with present-day meaning. Let's use that as our rule of thumb, okay?

 

[Thaeoles]

Remember that English is the bastard-child hybrid of ancient Germanic and Latin. It only has vague similarities to it's former parents. It is a vile language that is ever mutating into more dubious forms of communication. Beware lest it trick you!

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Etymology has nothing to do with present-day meaning. Let's use that as our rule of thumb, okay?

"Etymological fallacy" right? But in the days when Christianity was spreading to the Germanic world, would "God" have had humble connotations?

 

[razeontherock]

Could help account for the 30 years war?

 

[ittarter]

"Etymological fallacy" right? But in the days when Christianity was spreading to the Germanic world, would "God" have had humble connotations?

A natural contrast between the gods of the Germanic tribes and the One True God (TM) would have quickly arisen, no doubt. One recalls Paul's difficulty of conversing with the Athenians (Acts 17?) and the measures he takes to overcome both linguistic and conceptual barriers. On the upside, isn't it true that most polytheistic cultures have a belief of a singular, absolute, "old" god in addition to the more interactive, earthy pantheon?

 

[Catherineanne]

Remember that English is the bastard-child hybrid of ancient Germanic and Latin. It only has vague similarities to it's former parents. It is a vile language that is ever mutating into more dubious forms of communication. Beware lest it trick you!

Nice.

English is actually a Germanic language, with considerable Norman french influence. It is one of the easiest languages to learn (and the hardest to master), because of its lack of inflection, and it is also the language with the richest vocabulary in the world, because of its propensity to borrow from other languages.

All languages develop over time. Standard English has developed into something close to a world wide lingua franca. English is to us what Latin was to medieval times.

Vile it most certainly is not.

 

[Znex]

English is more of a Frankenstein's monster, with bits from everywhere, including Anglo-Saxon, French, Norse, Latin, Greek, German, etc.

 

[Thaeoles]

Nice.

English is actually a Germanic language, with considerable Norman french influence. It is one of the easiest languages to learn (and the hardest to master), because of its lack of inflection, and it is also the language with the richest vocabulary in the world, because of its propensity to borrow from other languages.

All languages develop over time. Standard English has developed into something close to a world wide lingua franca. English is to us what Latin was to medieval times.

Vile it most certainly is not.

You might say different if you lived in the southern part of the US. Certainly the butchery of it. And if it were not for the few that demand proper English, I am sure that it would evolve into monosyllabic grunts.

Though, I am a proponent of High English, and take pains to articulate my speech as well as my script. I may be easy to learn the basics in speech; rather, the script is by no means easy, and probably one of the more complicated ans contradictive languages in it's grammar. But of course, if English is used with finesse, it can be a beautify language.