pagan

See also: Pagan, págán, and păgân

English

Etymology

Recorded in English since about 1375. From Latin pāgānus (“rural, rustic”), later "civilian". The meaning "not (Judeo-)Christian" arose in Vulgar Latin, probably from the 4th century.[1] It is unclear whether this usage is derived primarily from the "rustic" or from the "civilian" meaning, which in Roman army jargon meant 'clumsy'. As a self-designation of neopagans attested since 1990.

In Old Persian in pre-Zoroastrian Iran, the word "bagh [بغ]" (pl. "baghan") meaning "god", "creator" or "the greater" was used to refer to the gods especially Mithra. The practice of worshipping "baghan" is "baghani" religion [بغانی]. The word has entered Old Slavic Languages ["Бог" in Russian means "god"] and Latin through the practice of Mithraism, a mystery religion worshipping Mithras (Mitra) known as an early rival of Christianity.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: pā'gən, IPA(key): /ˈpeɪɡən/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪɡən

Adjective

pagan (not comparable)

  1. Relating to, characteristic of or adhering to non-Abrahamist religions (i.e. not Christianity, Judaism, or Islam), especially earlier polytheism.
    Many converted societies transformed their pagan deities into saints.
  2. (by extension, pejorative) Savage, immoral, uncivilized, wild.

Usage notes

  • When referring to modern paganism, the term is now often capitalized, like other terms referring to religions.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Noun

pagan (plural pagans)

  1. A person not adhering to an Abrahamist religion; a follower of a pantheistic or nature-worshipping religion.
    This community has a surprising number of pagans.
  2. (by extension, pejorative) An uncivilized or unsocialized person.
  3. (by extension, pejorative) An unruly, badly educated child.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Augustine, Divers. Quaest. 83.

Anagrams

Asturian

Verb

pagan

  1. third-person plural present subjunctive of pagar

Cebuano

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: pa‧gan

Verb

pagan

  1. to embroil; to draw into a situation; to cause to be involved
  2. to implicate; to connect or involve in an unfavorable or criminal way with something
  3. to fall victim to a friendly fire
  4. (games, of marbles) to hit the adjacent marble with the target marble

Estonian

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin paganus, through either Old East Slavic поганъ (poganŭ) or directly from Latin, through the German crusaders. Cognate to Finnish pakana.

Noun

pagan (genitive pagana, partitive paganat)

  1. pagan, heathen
  2. a devil, an evil spirit

Declension

Derived terms

  • vanapagan

Interjection

pagan

  1. damn, darn, heck

Galician

Verb

pagan

  1. third-person plural present indicative of pagar

Spanish

Verb

pagan

  1. Second-person plural (ustedes) present indicative form of pagar.
  2. Third-person plural (ellos, ellas, also used with ustedes?) present indicative form of pagar.

Volapük

Etymology

From pag (“paganism”) +‎ -an.

Noun

pagan (plural pagans)

  1. (Volapük Nulik) pagan, gentile

Declension

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