Dec '25 • History Lesson
The term God/god(s)
When I think about referring to the Most High. I lately have had to ask myself if it matters what I call It. The Supreme Being. That made life. Gave life. Orchestrated life. And ties the divine universe together down to the very quantum physic. I believe as the created, Made in Their Image And Likeness To Govern And Create and Sustain this Reality of Life While adapting and evolving, That we should be more concerned with The GIFT of LIFE Instead of the gifts in life. And upon learning more about ancestry and spirituality. The circle of life per say, Has a connection that cant be ignored from the tree of life to the human body and the universe in whole and how it all ties together. Is magnificent and endless to explore. And depending on where you live or what culture you where born into or live by the term and or meaning could and will be different. But the TRUTH shall ALWAYS BE. Ase
When did the Word / term God/god come to be ?
Here’s a clear, well‑grounded answer based on the historical and linguistic evidence found.
🌟 When did the word God/god first appear?
The English word “God” is actually quite young compared to the idea of gods, which is prehistoric. The term itself emerges from a specific linguistic lineage.
Below is the timeline supported by the search results.
🕰️ Earliest Appearance of the Word “God”
✅ 6th century CE
The earliest written form of the Germanic word appears in the Codex Argenteus, a 6th‑century Gothic manuscript.
This is the first time we see the word in writing.
🌐 Where the English word comes from
✅ Old English (c. 700–1000 CE)
The English word God comes from Old English god, meaning:
- “supreme being”
- “deity”
- “the Christian God”
🧬 Proto‑Germanic (c. 500 BCE – 100 CE)
Old English god comes from Proto‑Germanic \gudą / \guthan**.
This root appears across early Germanic languages:
- Gothic: guþ
- Old Norse: guð
- Old High German: got
- Old Saxon / Frisian / Dutch: god
🧩 Proto‑Indo‑European (PIE) origins (c. 4000–2500 BCE)
This is where things get interesting.
Linguists trace the word back to a PIE root:
- \ǵʰu‑tó‑m* or \ghut‑* meaning “that which is invoked”
- Or possibly from \gheu‑* meaning “to pour (a libation)”
Both meanings connect to ancient religious practice:
- calling upon a deity
- pouring offerings to a deity
📌 Summary Timeline
Time PeriodForm of the WordMeaningSource4000–2500 BCEPIE \ǵʰu‑tó‑m / \gheu‑“invoked one” or “poured (libation)”500 BCE – 100 CEProto‑Germanic \*gudądeity; invoked being6th century CEGothic guþearliest written form700–1000 CEOld English goddeity; the Christian God
🧠 Key Insight
The word “God” is only about 1,500 years old in English, but the concept of gods is tens of thousands of years older. The term evolved from ancient Indo‑European ideas of invoking or offering to a divine presence.
📜 What God Is Called in the Ethiopian (Geʽez) Bible
The Ethiopian Bible—written in Geʽez (ግእዝ)—uses two primary names for God. These names appear consistently throughout the Scriptures and Ethiopian liturgical tradition.
✅ 1. እግዚአብሔር — Igziabeher / Egziabher
Meaning: “Lord of the Nation/Tribe” Usage: This is the main title for God in the Geʽez Bible.
According to linguistic sources, Igziabeher literally means “Lord of a nation”.
Word Breakdown (from Geʽez):
- እግዚ (Egzie) — Lord / ruler
- አብ (Ab) — Father
- ብሔር (Bihier) — Nation / tribe
This title functions similarly to “YHWH / The LORD” in Hebrew Scripture.
✅ 2. አምላክ — Amlak
Meaning: “God” (generic term for a deity)
This is a more general Ethiopian Semitic word for “god,” used for:
- The God of Israel
- Any deity in general
Sources confirm that Amlak is another Ethiopian word for God and is related to the Semitic root for “king” (Malik).
🧩 Summary Table
Geʽez NameMeaningUsageSourcesእግዚአብሔር (Igziabeher)Lord of the NationMain divine title in the Ethiopian Bibleአምላክ (Amlak)God / deityGeneric word for any god
🧠 Key Insight
Igziabeher is the covenantal, authoritative name used throughout the Geʽez Scriptures—much like “The LORD” in English Bibles. Amlak is the general term meaning “god.”
OverAll
What is the source of life referred to as a whole
Here’s a thoughtful, clear way to understand the question — and I’ll give you several perspectives so you can choose the one that fits what we're really asking.
about “the source of life as a whole” — meaning:
- What is life ultimately rooted in?
- What is the fundamental origin or principle behind all living things?
- What is the name or concept that traditions, science, or philosophy use to describe that source?
Different knowledge systems answer this in different ways. Let’s lay them out cleanly.
🌍 1. Scientific Perspective: The Source of Life
Science doesn’t use a single “name,” but it identifies several foundational sources:
✅ Energy from the Sun
All known life on Earth depends on solar energy, directly or indirectly.
✅ Water
A universal requirement for all known biological processes.
✅ Chemistry (Carbon-based molecules)
Life emerges from complex carbon chemistry.
✅ Abiogenesis
The scientific term for life arising from non‑living matter.
So in science, the “source of life” is not a single being but a set of physical conditions.
📜 2. Philosophical Perspective
Philosophers often refer to the source of life as:
✅ The First Cause
The ultimate origin of existence.
✅ The Ground of Being
A term used by thinkers like Paul Tillich to describe the foundational reality behind all existence.
✅ The Life Principle
The animating force or essence that makes living things alive.
🕊️ 3. Religious & Spiritual Perspective
Most traditions do give a name to the source of life.
✅ Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
The source of life is God, often described as:
- Creator
- Sustainer
- The Living One
✅ Ethiopian (Geʽez) tradition
The source of life is called:
- እግዚአብሔር (Egziabher) — “Lord of the Nation”
- አምላክ (Amlak) — “God”
✅ Ancient Egyptian
The source of life is Ra, the sun, or Atum, the self‑created one.
✅ Hinduism
The source of life is Brahman, the ultimate reality.
✅ Indigenous African traditions
Often refer to the source of life as:
- The Creator
- The Great Spirit
- The Life Force (similar to prana, chi, ase, nyama)
🌱 4. Mystical / Esoteric Perspective
Many mystical systems describe the source of life as:
✅ The One
The single, unified origin of all existence.
✅ The Divine Breath
Life as the result of a universal animating spirit.
✅ Consciousness
Some traditions say consciousness itself is the source of life.
✅ So what is the source of life “as a whole”?
If we combine all perspectives, the most universal answer is:
The source of life is the fundamental origin from which all living things arise — whether understood as God, energy, consciousness, or the first cause.
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The term God/god(s)
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