διετία
dietía
G1333 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A period or interval lasting two years; specifically, the duration of two complete years, often used to denote the full span of such a period in chronology or timekeeping. In some contexts, refers to a completed stretch of two years as a meaningful unit of time.
Semantic Range
period of two years, biennium, a full span of two years, two-year interval
Root / Etymology
From the adjective διετής ('lasting two years, of two years') plus the feminine nominal ending -ία (-ia) indicating a state or period; thus literally 'two-year period.' Rooted in Greek δι- ('two') and ἔτος ('year').
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term διετία is a post-classical and Hellenistic Greek noun, attested in chronographic and administrative sources to designate a full period of two years (biennium). In the Septuagint and New Testament, its usage is rare, limited primarily to clear, chronological references (e.g., Acts 24:27). While similar in meaning to Latin 'biennium,' the Greek term does not carry idiomatic nuances beyond marking the length of time. In most extant texts, it is used straightforwardly to refer to elapsed time or periods of official duration. English translations usually render it accurately as 'two years,' but do not capture the subtlety that it can also indicate the end of such a period (i.e., 'after two full years'). It is distinct from words like ἔτος ('year') and πολυέτης ('lasting many years'), being strictly limited to a two-year duration. There is no religious or ethnic connotation to the term; it is purely chronological and administrative in application.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from διετής; a space of two years (biennium):--two years.
Root Family
διετία (dietia) — two, year, period
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1333-01 |
διετίαν | dietian | N ACC F SG |
two years | a two-year period | a two-year period | 1 |
G1333-02 |
διετίας | dietias | N GEN F SG |
after two years | of a two-year period | of a two-year period | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1333-02 |
Acts 24:27 | διετίας | dietias | N GEN F SG |
after two years | of a two-year period | of a two-year period |
G1333-01 |
Acts 28:30 | διετίαν | dietian | N ACC F SG |
two years | a two-year period | a two-year period |