κοράσιον (G2877) — Greek Lexicon

κοράσιον

korásion

G2877 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A young girl, typically a child or adolescent female; in context, often refers to a girl not yet of marriageable age. The term can function as a diminutive, implying youthfulness or smallness, and is used for girls in domestic, familial, or social settings. Also appears as a term of endearment.

Semantic Range

young girl, little girl, maiden (child or adolescent), daughter, term of endearment for a female child

Root / Etymology

Diminutive form of κόρη (korē, 'girl, maiden'), itself from the root κορ-, referring to young girl or maiden. The neuter -ιον suffix indicates a diminutive, hence 'little girl' or 'young maiden.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, κόρη refers to an adolescent or young adult woman, often of marriageable age or unmarried (maiden). The diminutive κοράσιον becomes common in post-classical and Koine Greek, particularly in spoken contexts, to refer specifically to a young girl (generally pre-adolescent). In the New Testament, κοράσιον is used for girls who are children or adolescents; for example, in Mark 5:41-42, it denotes a 12-year-old daughter. The diminutive neuter ending reflects both youth and the affectionate or diminutive nuance. Standard English translations often render κοράσιον simply as 'girl,' 'little girl,' or 'damsel,' sometimes as 'maiden,' but 'maiden' can imply an older, marriageable age than the typical use of κοράσιον in Koine. The word is less common in classical literature but frequent in the New Testament and later Hellenistic works, where it is distinct from παῖς (pais, 'child' or 'servant') and from κόρη (korē), which may refer to older unmarried women. In the Septuagint, κοράσιον is occasionally used to translate Hebrew words for 'girl' or 'young woman,' reflecting age and familial status.

Translation Consistency

primary "girl" 8 occurrences

’Girl’ is the most natural, common English equivalent for κοράσιον, capturing the sense of a young or diminutive female (including endearment). It is simple, modern, and can carry the ‘little’/youth nuance through context or adjectives while keeping consistent usage across all forms.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

neuter of a presumed derivative of (a maiden); a (little) girl:--damsel, maid.

Root Family

κορ- (korásion) — young girl, maiden, child

Root κορ- young girl, maiden, child

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
G2880	κορέννυμι	having been fully filled

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G2877-02`	κοράσιον	korasion	`N NOM N SG`	damsel	little girl	little girl	5
`G2877-01`	κορασίῳ	korasio	`N DAT N SG`	girl	to a little girl	girl	3

Occurrences in Scripture

8 occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G2877-02`	Matthew 9:24	κοράσιον	korasion	`N NOM N SG`	girl	little girl	little girl
`G2877-02`	Matthew 9:25	κοράσιον	korasion	`N NOM N SG`	girl	little girl	little girl
`G2877-01`	Matthew 14:11	κορασίῳ	korasio	`N DAT N SG`	girl	to a little girl	girl
`G2877-02`	Mark 5:41	κοράσιον	korasion	`N VOC N SG`	little-girl	little girl	little girl
`G2877-02`	Mark 5:42	κοράσιον	korasion	`N NOM N SG`	damsel	little girl	little girl
`G2877-01`	Mark 6:22	κορασίῳ	korasio	`N DAT N SG`	girl	to a little girl	girl
`G2877-01`	Mark 6:28	κορασίῳ	korasio	`N DAT N SG`	damsel	to a little girl	girl
`G2877-02`	Mark 6:28	κοράσιον	korasion	`N NOM N SG`	damsel	little girl	girl

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