κοπρία
kopría
G2874 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Accumulation of animal excrement, manure used for fertilization; by extension, place where dung or refuse is collected (dunghill, manure heap). The term denotes both the physical substance (dung, manure) and, less commonly, the location where such material is heaped or stored.
Semantic Range
animal excrement, manure used as fertilizer, dung-heap, place where dung is stored or piled, refuse heap
Root / Etymology
Derived from the noun κόπρος (kopros, 'dung, manure'), itself from the verb κόπτω (koptō, 'to cut, strike'), originally referring to that which is cut or cleaned away; suffix -ία (-ia) forms a place or state term. Thus, κοπρία relates to 'the heap or place of dung.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Koine Greek, κοπρία refers concretely to manure as a fertilizer, particularly animal excrement used to enrich soil, and to places where such waste is gathered (dunghill). In the New Testament (Luke 13:8), it signifies manure spread to fertilize a tree. The term is rare in earlier classical Greek, more commonly found in agricultural or domestic contexts in Hellenistic and Roman periods. In the Septuagint, it can represent the Hebrew אַשְׁפָּה (ashpah, 'heap, refuse pile'), commonly used for places where refuse and dung were cast outside settlements. English Bible translations sometimes use 'dung,' 'manure,' or 'dunghill' based on context, but 'dunghill' is not the primary referent in Greek; more often, the term refers to the substance (manure) rather than the location. Related terms include κόπρος (the general word for dung, excrement) and κοπριατήριον (place for dung, latrine, rarely used).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from (ordure; perhaps akin to κόπτω); manure:--dung(-hill).
Root Family
κοπρία (kopria) — dung, manure, excrement, refuse, dung-heap
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2874-01 |
κόπρια | kopria | N ACC N PL |
fertilizer | manure heaps | manure | 1 |
G2874-02 |
κοπρίαν | koprian | N ACC F SG |
the dunghill | manure heap | manure heap | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2874-01 |
Luke 13:8 | κόπρια | kopria | N ACC N PL |
fertilizer | manure heaps | manure |
G2874-02 |
Luke 14:35 | κοπρίαν | koprian | N ACC F SG |
the dunghill | manure heap | manure heap |