noun · masculinesecond declension
dēmiūrgus
dēmiūrgus m (genitive dēmiūrgī)
Classical[deː.miˈuːr.ɡʊs]Ecclesiastical[de.miˈur.ɡus]
Meaning
- 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)
- Any being that made the universe out of primal matter, demiurge
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.
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)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | dēmiūrgus | dēmiūrgī dāmiūrgī |
| genitive | dēmiūrgī dāmiūrgī | dēmiūrgōrum dāmiūrgōrum |
| dative | dēmiūrgō dāmiūrgō | dēmiūrgīs dāmiūrgīs |
| accusative | dēmiūrgum dāmiūrgum | dēmiūrgōs dāmiūrgōs |
| ablative | dēmiūrgō dāmiūrgō | dēmiūrgīs dāmiūrgīs |
| vocative | dēmiūrge dāmiūrge | dēmiūrgī dāmiūrgī |
dēmĭurgus, or acc. to the Dor. form dāmĭurgus, i, m., = δημιουργός, Dor. δᾶμιουργός.
I. The chief magistrate in some of the Grecian states, Liv. 32, 22; 38, 30; title of a comedy of Turpilius, Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 1; Non. 226, 12 al.; cf. Rib. Com. p. 89 sq.—
II. The Maker of the world, Tert. adv. Valent. 24.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
dēmīūrgus see damiurgus.
Origins
Borrowed from Ancient Greek δημιουργός (dēmiourgós, “craftsman”) after Platonic usage.
Descendants
- Catalandemiürg
- Frenchdémiurge
- Italiandemiurgo
- Portuguesedemiurgo
- Romaniandemiurg
- Spanishdemiurgo
- Russianдемиург