demiurgus

Etymology

See demiurge.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /diːmɪɜːɡəs/, /dɛ-/
• Hyphenation: de‧mi‧ur‧gus

Noun

demiurgus (plural demiurgi)

1. (chiefly dated) Alternative form of demiurge.

Alternative forms

• dāmiūrgus

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek δημιουργός (dēmiourgós, “craftsman”) after Platonic usage. The variant with ‘a’ is from Doric Greek δαμιοργός (damiorgós, “chief magistrate”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /deː.miˈuːr.ɡus/, [deː.mɪˈuːr.ɡʊs]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /de.miˈur.ɡus/

Noun

dēmiūrgus m (genitive dēmiūrgī); second declension

1. (in some of the Ancient Greek poleis) A chief magistrate.

   tum inter magistratus gentis (‘damiurgos’ vocant; decem numero creantur) certamen nihilo segnius quam inter multitudinem esse.
   Then among the magistrates of the people [of the Aegean League] (called ‘demiurges’; ten were appointed) an argument broke out no less heated than among the crowd. – Liv. 32 22 (written circa 10 BC)

2. Any being that made the universe out of primal matter, demiurge

   lex autem Demiurgum laudare Deum, et ipsi soli servire iubet nobis.
   moreover the law commands us to praise God the Demiurge, and to serve only him. – Irenaeus, Adversus haereses 5 22 (Latin translation of lost Greek original, circa 180 AD)
   Note: it might seem odd that Irenaeus would use the term here given the usual implications, but he is arguing against Gnosis in this work and using Gnostic terminology to do so.

References

• demiurgus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• demiurgus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• demiurgus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• demiurgus in William Smith, editor (1848) A Dictionary of Greek Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray