ὀλολύζω
ololýzō
G3649 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To emit a loud, sustained cry or wail, especially one expressing intense distress, anguish, lamentation, or terror. In literary and biblical contexts, often used of collective or ritualized crying out, such as the mourning of a city under siege or a community facing disaster. The verb can describe both the spontaneous shriek of an individual and the formal, communal wailing associated with mourning or catastrophe.
Semantic Range
to howl in distress, to wail during mourning or lamentation, to shriek in terror, to emit ritualized cries of anguish, to raise a public lament
Root / Etymology
Formed through reduplication of an onomatopoeic root; derives from the vocal imitation of wailing or shrieking sounds, common in Indo-European languages. Greek ὀλολ- is an echoic base related to shouting or howling sounds. Not derived from or related to a particular Hebrew or Aramaic word, though similar expressions of lament are found in Hebrew texts.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ὀλολύζω appears in the Septuagint, especially in prophetic and lament contexts (e.g., Joel 1:5, 11, 13), translating Hebrew verbs like יָלַל (yālal, to wail/cry out). It is rare in classical Greek, where it typically denotes a ritual lament or a piercing wail in response to disaster or grief, sometimes connected with mourning rites and cultic cries (cf. ὀλολυγή, ritual cry). In Hellenistic and Koine sources, it maintains these lament or horror associations and is especially prominent in contexts describing the destruction or calamity befalling a people or city. English translations often render it as “howl,” “wail,” or “lament,” but these may not fully express the communal and sometimes ritualized nature of the original term. It should be distinguished from related terms such as κλαίω (to weep), which focuses more on tears and softer forms of grief. ὀλολύζω frequently involves an audible, public outcry.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a reduplicated primary verb; to "howl" or "halloo", i.e. shriek:--howl.
Root Family
ὀλολύζω (ololýzō) — to howl, to wail, to shriek
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3649-01 |
ὀλολύζοντες | ololuzontes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
and howl | wailing ones | wailing ones | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3649-01 |
James 5:1 | ὀλολύζοντες | ololuzontes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
and howl | wailing ones | wailing ones |