Λουκᾶς
Loukâs
G3065 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun: Loukâs. A personal name referring to an individual known in early Christian texts; specifically, the companion of Paul mentioned in several New Testament letters. The name itself designates an individual rather than describing a function, characteristic, or office. It refers to a person rather than carrying an intrinsic lexical meaning.
Semantic Range
personal name Loukâs, refers specifically to an individual companion of Paul; no other lexical or semantic senses
Root / Etymology
The name Λουκᾶς is a contracted Greek form likely derived from the Latin personal name Lucanus (a gentilic name, 'of Lucania,' a region in southern Italy), or possibly from the related Latin name Lucius. Its adoption into Greek reflects standard patterns of Hellenizing Latin personal names. The original Latin root connects either to the geographical region Lucania or to the root 'lux' ('light') in Lucius/Lucianus, but the Greek form functions strictly as a personal name, and does not carry this semantic content in context.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Λουκᾶς appears as a proper name in the New Testament, referring specifically to a companion of Paul (e.g., Colossians 4:14, 2 Timothy 4:11, Philemon 24). It does not occur in the Septuagint or earlier Greek literature as a personal name. In the New Testament, the referent is traditionally identified with the author of the Gospel according to Luke and Acts of the Apostles, though this is a later interpretive tradition and not intrinsic to the name itself. English Bibles conventionally render Λουκᾶς as 'Luke,' but the name is not ethnically or religiously marked; it is a standard Greco-Roman male name, and its bearer in the early Christian movement reflects the diversity of personal names within these communities. The Greek form is directly transferred from its Latin origin without further semantic development in Koine or LXX Greek.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
contracted from Latin Lucanus; Lucas, a Christian:--Lucas, Luke.
Root Family
Λουκᾶς (Loukâs) — proper name, personal name
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3065-01 |
Λουκᾶς | loukas | N NOM M SG |
Luke | Loukâs | Loukas | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3065-01 |
Colossians 4:14 | Λουκᾶς | loukas | N NOM M SG |
Luke | Loukâs | Loukas |
G3065-01 |
2 Timothy 4:11 | Λουκᾶς | loukas | N NOM M SG |
Luke | Loukâs | Loukas |
G3065-01 |
Philemon 1:24 | Λουκᾶς | loukas | N NOM M SG |
Luke | Loukâs | Loukas |