μεμβράνα
membrána
G3200 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A prepared animal skin, specifically for writing; parchment. In Koine and later Greek usage, refers particularly to a fine, durable writing material made from animal hide, as opposed to papyrus. The term designates the material (parchment) onto which texts are inscribed, especially in formal or lasting records.
Semantic Range
animal skin used for writing, parchment, a sheet made from processed hide for inscribing texts, formal writing material
Root / Etymology
Borrowed from Latin membrana (“skin, parchment”), itself from membrum (“limb, member”); introduced into Greek as a technical term for writing material derived from animal skin. Not of native Greek derivation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
μεμβράνα is a loanword from Latin, first attested in Hellenistic and Roman-era Greek. Its adoption reflects the increasing use of parchment as a writing material in the eastern Mediterranean, particularly when papyrus was scarce or less durable. In the New Testament (2 Timothy 4:13), it refers concretely to documents or codices made from such material, not simply to animal skin in general. By the Roman period, μεμβράνα had become a standard term for 'parchment,' and its use is closely tied to the spread of the codex (book) format. English translations usually render it 'parchment(s),' but this can obscure the specific material sense and its connotation of durability and value compared to papyrus. Unlike χάρτης ('sheet of papyrus/paper'), μεμβράνα always implies animal skin as medium. There is no direct evidence for use in earlier Classical Greek; its appearance mirrors technological and administrative changes of the Hellenistic-Roman period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Latin origin ("membrane"); a (written) sheep-skin:--parchment.
Root Family
μεμβρ- (membrána) — skin, membrane, parchment
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3200-01 |
μεμβράνας | membranas | N ACC F PL |
parchments | parchments | parchments | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3200-01 |
2 Timothy 4:13 | μεμβράνας | membranas | N ACC F PL |
parchments | parchments | parchments |