Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Angel |
AngelNoun1. Spiritual being attendant upon God. 2. Person of exceptional holiness. 3. Invests in a theatrical production. 4. The highest waterfall; has more than one leap; flow varies seasonally. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
"Angel" is a name that signifies or is derived from: "a messenger". |
Date "angel" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
Etymology: Angel \An"gel\, noun. [from Anglo-Saxon expression [ae]ngel, engel, influenced by Old French angele, angle, French ange. Both the Anglo-Saxon and the Old French words are from Latin angelus, Greek 'a`ggelos messenger, messenger of God, an angel.]. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Computing | Angel |
19th Century Satire | A heavenly ineligible, with wings and a harp; or, an earthly eligible, with money and a heart. Source: Foolish Dictionary, 1904. |
Aerospace | A radar echo caused by a physical phenomenon not discernible to the eye.Angels are usually coherent echoes and sometimes of great signal strength (up to 40 decibels above the noise level). They have been ascribed to insects flying through the radar beam, but have also been observed under atmospheric conditions which indicate there must be other causes. Studies indicate that a fair portion of them are caused by strong temperature or moisture gradients, or both, such as might be found near the boundaries of bubbles of especially warm or moist air (see blob). They frequently occur in shallow layers at or near temperature inversions within the lowest few thousand feet of the atmosphere. (references) |
Bible | Angel a word signifying, both in the Hebrew and Greek, a "messenger," and hence employed to denote any agent God sends forth to execute his purposes. It is used of an ordinary messenger (Job 1:14: 1 Sam. 11:3; Luke 7:24; 9:52), of prophets (Isa. 42:19; Hag. 1:13), of priests (Mal. 2:7), and ministers of the New Testament (Rev. 1:20). It is also applied to such impersonal agents as the pestilence (2 Sam. 24:16, 17; 2 Kings 19:35), the wind (Ps. 104:4). But its distinctive application is to certain heavenly intelligences whom God employs in carrying on his government of the world. The name does not denote their nature but their office as messengers. The appearances to Abraham at Mamre (Gen. 18:2, 22. Comp. 19:1), to Jacob at Peniel (Gen. 32:24, 30), to Joshua at Gilgal (Josh. 5:13, 15), of the Angel of the Lord, were doubtless manifestations of the Divine presence, "foreshadowings of the incarnation," revelations before the "fulness of the time" of the Son of God. (1.) The existence and orders of angelic beings can only be discovered from the Scriptures. Although the Bible does not treat of this subject specially, yet there are numerous incidental details that furnish us with ample information. Their personal existence is plainly implied in such passages as Gen. 16:7, 10, 11; Judg. 13:1-21; Matt. 28:2-5; Heb. 1:4, etc. These superior beings are very numerous. "Thousand thousands," etc. (Dan. 7:10; Matt. 26:53; Luke 2:13; Heb. 12:22, 23). They are also spoken of as of different ranks in dignity and power (Zech. 1:9, 11; Dan. 10:13; 12:1; 1 Thess. 4:16; Jude 1:9; Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16). (2.) As to their nature, they are spirits (Heb. 1:14), like the soul of man, but not incorporeal. Such expressions as "like the angels" (Luke 20:36), and the fact that whenever angels appeared to man it was always in a human form (Gen. 18:2; 19:1, 10; Luke 24:4; Acts 1:10), and the titles that are applied to them ("sons of God," Job 1:6; 38:7; Dan. 3:25; comp. 28) and to men (Luke 3:38), seem all to indicate some resemblance between them and the human race. Imperfection is ascribed to them as creatures (Job 4:18; Matt. 24:36; 1 Pet. 1:12). As finite creatures they may fall under temptation; and accordingly we read of "fallen angels." Of the cause and manner of their "fall" we are wholly ignorant. We know only that "they left their first estate" (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:7,9), and that they are "reserved unto judgement" (2 Pet. 2:4). When the manna is called "angels' food," this is merely to denote its excellence (Ps. 78:25). Angels never die (Luke 20:36). They are possessed of superhuman intelligence and power (Mark 13:32; 2 Thess. 1:7; Ps. 103:20). They are called "holy" (Luke 9:26), "elect" (1 Tim. 5:21). The redeemed in glory are "like unto the angels" (Luke 20:36). They are not to be worshipped (Col. 2:18; Rev. 19:10). (3.) Their functions are manifold. (a) In the widest sense they are agents of God's providence (Ex. 12:23; Ps. 104:4; Heb. 11:28; 1 Cor. 10:10; 2 Sam. 24:16; 1 Chr. 21:16; 2 Kings 19:35; Acts 12:23). (b) They are specially God's agents in carrying on his great work of redemption. There is no notice of angelic appearances to man till after the call of Abraham. From that time onward there are frequent references to their ministry on earth (Gen. 18; 19; 24:7, 40; 28:12; 32:1). They appear to rebuke idolatry (Judg. 2:1-4), to call Gideon (Judg. 6:11, 12), and to consecrate Samson (13:3). In the days of the prophets, from Samuel downward, the angels appear only in their behalf (1 Kings 19:5; 2 Kings 6:17; Zech. 1-6; Dan. 4:13, 23; 10:10, 13, 20, 21). The Incarnation introduces a new era in the ministrations of angels. They come with their Lord to earth to do him service while here. They predict his advent (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:26-38), minister to him after his temptation and agony (Matt. 4:11; Luke 22:43), and declare his resurrection and ascension (Matt. 28:2-8; John 20:12, 13; Acts 1:10, 11). They are now ministering spirits to the people of God (Heb. 1:14; Ps. 34:7; 91:11; Matt. 18:10; Acts 5:19; 8:26; 10:3; 12:7; 27:23). They rejoice over a penitent sinner (Luke 15:10). They bear the souls of the redeemed to paradise (Luke 16:22); and they will be the ministers of judgement hereafter on the great day (Matt. 13:39, 41, 49; 16:27; 24:31). The passages (Ps. 34:7, Matt. 18:10) usually referred to in support of the idea that every individual has a particular guardian angel have no such meaning. They merely indicate that God employs the ministry of angels to deliver his people from affliction and danger, and that the angels do not think it below their dignity to minister even to children and to the least among Christ's disciples. The "angel of his presence" (Isa. 63:9. Comp. Ex. 23:20, 21; 32:34; 33:2; Num. 20:16) is probably rightly interpreted of the Messiah as the guide of his people. Others have supposed the expression to refer to Gabriel (Luke 1:19). Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. |
Literature | Angel Half a sovereign in gold; so called because, at one time, it bore the figure of the archangel Michael slaying the dragon. When the Rev. Mr. Patten, vicar of Whitstable, was dying, the Archbishop of Canterbury sent him #10. The wit said, "Tell his Grace that now I am sure he is a man of God, for I have seen his angels." Angel (a public-house sign), in compliment to Richard II, who placed an angel above his shield, holding it up in his hands. To write like an angel (French). The angel referred to was Angelo Vergece [Vergezio], a Cretan of the sixteenth century. He was employed both by Henri II and by François I, and was noted for his caligraphy. (Didot: Nouvelle Biographie Universelle [1852--66]). Angel of the Schools. St. Thomas Aquinas. (See Angelic Doctor.) Angels, say the Arabs, were created from pure, bright gems; the gems, of fire; and man, of clay. Angels, according to Dionysius the Areopagite, were divided into nine orders: - 1. Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones, in the first circle. 2. Dominions, Virtues, and Powers, in the second circle. 3. Principalities, Archangels, and Angels, in the third circle. St. Gregory the Great: Homily 34. "In heaven above, The effulgent bands in triple circles move." Tasso: Jerusalem Delivered, xi. 13. Angels. The seven holy angels are - Abdiel, Gabriel, Michael, Raguel, Raphael, Simiel, and Uriel. Michael and Gabriel are mentioned in the Bible, Raphael in the Apocrypha. Milton (Paradise Lost, book i., from 392) gives a list of the fallen angels. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Post & Telecom | An unidentified echo on a radar display generally due to the presence of birds. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In many religious traditions an angel is a spiritual being which assists and serves God or the gods. The word originated from the Latin angelus, itself derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, ággelos, meaning "messenger" (written "gg" = spoken "ng" in Greek). The closest Hebrew word for angel is מלאך, mal'ach, also meaning messenger.
- This article describes supernatural creatures called angels; for other meanings, see angel (disambiguation).
The highest angels are Seraphim, Cherubim (not to be confused with Cherubs) and Thrones
The middle angels are Dominionss, Virtues and Powers
In the lowest angel are the Principalities, the Archangels, and the Angels.
Jewish views
Angels appear in several Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) stories, such as the warning to Lot of the imminent destruction of Sodom. Many Bible chapters mention an "angry God" who sends His angel to smite the enemies of the Israelites. Traditional Jewish biblical commentators have a variety of ways of explaining what an angel is. The earliest Biblical books present angels as heavenly beings created by God, some of whom apparently are endowed with free will. Later biblical books in the Tanach present a stunningly different view of angels, such as in the Book of Ezekiel, and these angels bear no relation whatsoever to the popular understanding of what an angel is.
The archangels named in post-exile Judaism are Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and Jerahmeel. Gabriel and Michael are mentioned in the book of Daniel, Raphael in the book of Tobit and the remaining four in the book of Enoch.
Angels in the Hebrew Bible
The Biblical name for angel, melekh (meaning "messenger"), obtained the further signification of "angel" only through the addition of God's name, as "angel of the Lord," or "angel of God" (Zech. xii. 8). Other appellations are "Sons of God," (Gen. vi. 4; Job, i. 6 [R. V. v. 1]) and "the Holy Ones" (Ps. lxxxix. 6, 8).
In the Hebrew Bible, angels often appear to people in the shape of humans of extraordinary beauty, and often are not immediately recognized as angels (Gen. xviii. 2, xix. 5; Judges, vi. 17, xiii. 6; II Sam. xxix. 9); some fly through the air; some become invisible; sacrifices touched by them are consumed by fire; they may disappear in sacrificial fire, like Elijah, who rode to heaven in a fiery chariot; and they appear in the flames of the thorn bush (Gen. xvi. 13; Judges, vi. 21, 22; II Kings, ii. 11; Ex. iii. 2). They are pure and bright as heaven; consequently they are formed of fire and are encompassed by light (Job, xv. 15), as the Psalmist says (Ps. civ. 4, R. V.): "Who makes winds his messengers; his ministers a flaming fire."
Appearance of Angels
Though superhuman, angels assume human form; this is the earliest conception. Gradually, and especially in post-Biblical times, angels came to be bodied forth in a form corresponding to the nature of the mission to be fulfilled—generally, however, the human form. They bear drawn swords or destroying weapons in their hands—one carries an ink-horn by his side—and ride on horses (Num. xxii. 23, Josh. v. 13, Ezek. ix. 2, Zech. i. 8 et seq.). A terrible angel is the one mentioned in I Chron. xxi. 16, 30, as standing "between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand." In the Book of Daniel, probably written 165 B.C., reference is made to an angel "clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude" (Dan. x. 5, 6). It is an open question whether at that time angels were imagined to possess wings (Dan. ix. 21).
Angels are portrayed as powerful and dreadful, endowed with wisdom and with knowledge of all earthly events, correct in their judgment, holy, but not infallible: they strive against each other, and God has to make peace between them. When their duties are not punitive, angels are beneficent to man (Ps. ciii. 20, lxxviii. 25; II Sam. xiv. 17, 20, xix. 28; Zech. xiv. 5; Job, iv. 18, xxv. 2).
The number of angels is enormous. Jacob meets a host of angels; Joshua sees the "captain of the host of the Lord"; God sits on His throne, "all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left"; the sons of God come "to present themselves before the Lord" (Gen. xxxii. 2; Josh. v. 14, 15; I Kings, xxii. 19; Job, i. 6, ii. 1; Ps. lxxxix. 6; Job, xxxiii. 23). The general conception is the one of Job (xxv. 3): "Is there any number of his armies?"
Though the older writings usually mention one angel of the Lord, embassies to men as a rule comprised several messengers. The inference, however, is not to be drawn that God Himself or one particular angel was designated: the expression was given simply to God's power to accomplish through but one angel any deed, however wonderful.
Angels are referred to in connection with their special missions as, for instance, the "angel which hath redeemed," "an interpreter," "the angel that destroyed," "messenger of the covenant," "angel of his presence," and "a band of angels of evil" (Gen. xlviii. 16; Job, xxxiii. 23; II Sam. xxiv. 16; Mal. iii. 1; Isa. lxiii. 9; Ps. lxxviii. 49, R. V.). When, however, the heavenly host is regarded in its most comprehensive aspect, a distinction may be made between cherubim, seraphim, ḥayyot ("living creatures"), ofanim ("wheels"), and arelim (the meaning of which term is unknown). God is described as riding on the cherubim and as "the Lord of hosts, who dwelleth between the cherubim"; while the latter guard the way of the tree of life (I Sam. iv. 4, Ps. lxxx. 2, Gen. iii. 24). The seraphim are described by Isaiah (vi. 2) as having six wings; and Ezekiel describes the ḥayyot (Ezek. i. 5 et seq.) and ofanim as heavenly beings who carry God's throne.
In post-Biblical times the heavenly hosts became more highly organized (possibly as early as Zechariah [iii. 9, iv. 10]; certainly in Daniel), and there came to be various kinds of angels; some even being provided with names, as will be shown below.
Purpose
In the Bible, angels are the medium of God's power; they exist to execute God's will. Angels reveal themselves to individuals as well as to the whole nation, in order to announce events, either good or bad, affecting them. Angels foretold to Abraham the birth of Isaac, to Manoah the birth of Samson, and to Abraham the destruction of Sodom. Guardian angels are mentioned, but not, as was later the case, as guardian spirits of individuals and nations. God sends an angel to protect the people after their exodus from Egypt, to lead them to the promised land, and to destroy the hostile tribes in their way (Ex. xxiii. 20, Num. xx. 16).
In Judges (ii. 1) an angel of the Lord—unless here and in the preceding instances (compare Isa. xlii. 19, Ḥag. i. 13, Mal. iii. 1) a human messenger of God is meant—addresses the whole people, swearing to bring them to the promised land. An angel brings Elijah meat and drink (I Kings, xix. 5); and as God watched over Jacob, so is every pious person protected by an angel that cares for him in all his ways (Ps. xxxiv. 7, xci. 11). There are angels militant, one of whom smites in one night the whole Assyrian army of 185,000 men (II Kings, xix. 35); messengers go forth from God "in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid" (Ezek. xxx. 9); the enemy is scattered before the angel like chaff (Ps. xxxv. 5, 6).
Avenging angels are mentioned, such as the one in II Sam. xxiv. 15, who annihilates thousands. It would seem that the pestilence was personified, and that the "evil angels" mentioned in Ps. lxxviii. 49 are to be regarded as personifications of this kind. "Evil" is here to be taken in the causative sense, as "producing evil"; for, as stated above, angels are generally considered to be by nature beneficent to man. They glorify God, whence the term "glorifying angels" (Ps. xxix. 1, ciii. 20, cxlviii. 2; compare Isa. vi. 2 et seq.).
They constitute God's court, sitting in council with him (I Kings, xxii. 19; Job, i. 6, ii. 1); hence they are called His "council of the holy ones" (Ps. lxxxix. 7, R. V.; A. V. "assembly of the saints"). They accompany God as His attendants when He appears to man (Deut. xxxiii. 2; Job, xxxviii. 7). This conception was developed after the Exile; and in Zechariah angels of various shapes are delegated "to walk to and fro through the earth" in order to find out and report what happens (Zech. vi. 7).
In the prophetic books angels appear as representatives of the prophetic spirit, and bring to the prophets God's word. Thus the prophet Haggai was called God's messenger (angel); and it is known that "Malachi" is not a real name, but means "messenger" or "angel." It is noteworthy that in I Kings, xiii. 18, an angel brings the divine word to the prophet.
In some places it is inferred that angels existed before the Creation (Gen. i. 26; Job, xxxviii. 7). The earlier Biblical writings did not speculate about them; simply regarding them, in their relations to man, as God's agents. Consequently, they did not individualize or denominate them; and in Judges, xiii. 18, and Gen. xxxii. 30, the angels, when questioned, refuse to give their names. In Daniel, however, there occur the names Michael and Gabriel. Michael is Israel's representative in heaven, where other nations—the Persians, for instance—were also represented by angelic princes. More than three hundred years before the Book of Daniel was written, Zechariah graded the angels according to their rank, but did not name them. The notion of the seven eyes (Zech. iii. 9, iv. 10) may have been affected by the representation of the seven archangels and also possibly by the Parsee seven amshaspands (compare Ezek. ix. 2).
Maimonides and rationalism
In the medieval era, some Jews developed a rationalist view of angels that is still accepted by many Jews today. The rationalist view of angels, as held by Maimonides, Gersonides, Samuel Ibn Tibbon, etc., states that God's actions are never mediated by a violation of the laws of nature. Rather, all such interactions are by way of angels. Even this can be highly misleading: Maimonides harshly states that the average person's understanding of the term "angel" is ignorant in the extreme. Instead, he says, the wise man sees that what the Bible and Talmud refer to as "angels" are actually metaphors for the various laws of nature, or the principles by which the physical universe operates, or kinds of platonic eternal forms. This is explained in his Guide of the Perplexed II:4 and II:6.
Maimonides thus presents a virtual rejection of the classical Jewish view of miracles; he and others substitute a rationalism that seems more appropriate for 20th and 21st century religious rationalists.
- II:4 "...This leads Aristotle in turn to the demonstrated fact that God, glory and majesty to Him, does not do things by direct contact. God burns things by means of fire; fire is moved by the motion of the sphere; the sphere is moved by means of a disembodied intellect, these intellects being the "angels which are near to Him," through whose mediation the spheres [planets] move....thus totally disembodied minds exist which emanate from God and are the intermediaries between God and all the bodies [objects] here in this world."
- II:6 "...Aristotle's doctrine that these disembodied spheres serve as the nexus between God and existence, by whose mediation the sphere are brought into motion, which is the cause of all becoming, is the express import of all the Scriptures. For you will never in Scripture any activity done by God except through an angel. And "angel", as you know, means messenger. Thus anything which executes a command is an angel. So the motions of living beings, even those that are inarticulate, are said explicitly by Scripture to be due to angels.
- ...Our argument here is concerned solely with those "angels" which are disembodied intellects. For our Bible is not unaware that God governs this existence through the mediation of angels...(Maimonides then quotes discussions of angels from Genesis, Plato, and Midrash Bereshit Rabbah)...the import in all these texts is not—as a primitive mentality would suppose—to suggest any discussion or planning or seeking of advice on God's part. How could the Creator receive aid from the object of his creation? The real import of all is to proclaim that existence—including particular individuals and even the formation of the parts of animals such as they are—is brought about entirely through the mediation of angels.
- For all forces are angels! How blind, how perniciously blind are the naive?! If you told someone who purports to be a sage of Israel that the Deity sends an angel who enters a woman's womb and there forms an embryo, he would think this a miracle and accept it as a mark of the majesty and power of the Deity—despite the fact that he believes an angel to be a body of fire one third the size of the entire world. All this, he thinks, is possible for God. But if you tell him that God placed in the sperm the power of forming and demarcating these organs, and that this is the angel, or that all forms are produced by the Active Intellect—that here is the angel, the "vice-regent of the world" constantly mentioned by the sages—then he will recoil. For he [the naive person] does not understand that the true majesty and power are in the bringing into being of forces which are active in a thing although they cannot be perceived by the senses.
- The sages of blessed memory state clearly—to those who are wise themselves—that every bodily power (not to mention forces at large in the world) is an angel and that a given power has one effect and no more. It says in Midrash Bereshit Rabbah "We are given to understand that no angel performs two missions, nor do two angels perform one mission."—which is just the case with all forces. To confirm the conclusion that individual physical and psychological forces are called "angels", there is the dictum of the sages, in a number of places, ultimately derived from Bereshit Rabbah, "Each day the Holy One creates a band of angels who sing their song before him and go their way." Midrash Bereshit Rabbah, LXXVIII] When this midrash was countered with another which suggests that angels are permanent...the answer given was that some are permanent and other perish. And this is in fact the case. Particular forces come to be and pass away in constant succession; the species of such forces, however, are stable and enduring....[Giving a few more examples of the mention of angels in rabbinic writings, Maimonides says] Thus the Sages reveal to the aware that the imaginative faculty is also called an angel; and the mind is called a cherub. How beautiful this will appear to the sophisticated mind—and how disturbing to the primitive."
Christian views
In the New Testament the angel Gabriel appears to Mary in the traditional role of messenger to inform her that her child will be the Messiah, and other angels are present to herald his birth. An angel appears at Jesus' tomb, frightens the Roman guards, rolls away the stone from the tomb, and later tells the myrrh-bearing women of Jesus' resurrection. Two angels witnessed Jesus' ascent into Heaven and prophesied his return. When Peter was imprisoned, an angel put his guards to sleep, released him from his chains, and led him out of the prison. Angels fill a number of different roles in the book of Revelation. Among other things, they are seen gathered around the Throne of God singing the thrice-holy hymn.
Angels are frequently depicted as human in appearance, though many theologians have argued that they have no physical existence. (Hence the frequently recounted tale of Scholastics arguing about how many angels could fit on a pinhead; if angels possess physical bodies, the answer is "a finite number", if they do not, the answer is "an infinite number".) Seraphim are often depicted as 6 wings radiating from a center either concealing a body or without a body. Starting with the end of the 4th century, angels were depicted with wings, presumably to give an easy explanation for them travelling to and from heaven.
Some Christian traditions hold that there are as many as ten classes of angels; this is particularly clear in the work of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, an unknown 5th Century author whose work The Celestial Hierarchy gives the names that have become part of tradition: angels, archangels, principalities, powers, virtues, dominions, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim. In this hierarchy, the cherubim and seraphim are typically closest to God, while the angels and archangels are most active in human affairs.
Some Christian traditions also hold that angels play a variety of specific roles in the lives of believers. For instance, each Christian may be assigned a guardian angel at their baptism. Each consecrated altar has at least one angel always present offering up prayers, and a number of angels join the congregation when they meet to pray. In the story of the 40 martyrs of Sebaste, in which 40 Christian Roman soldiers were ordered to stand naked on a frozen lake in the snow until they renounced their faith, angels were seen descending from Heaven placing the crowns of martyrs on their heads.
Some medieval Christian philosophers were influenced by the views of Maimonides, and accepted his view of angels. Today, these views of angels are still technically acceptable within many mainstream Christian denominations. However, for all practical purposes most Christian lay people know little or nothing of these views, and do not accept them.
Satan and the demons are thought by Christians to be angels who rebelled against God and fell from Heaven.
Islamic views
A belief in angels is central to the religion of Islam, beginning with the belief that the Quran was dictated to the Prophet Muhammed by the angel Gabriel.
In the Quran, Jewish and Gnostic angelologies seem to be intermingled. In Muhammed's time the old Arabian goddesses (Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manat) were spoken of as angels and daughters of God (Quran, sura xxxvii. § 150, liii. § 20).
The chief of all the archangels is Gabriel (Jibril); Michael comes next; Israfil (Sarafiel) sounds the trumpet of the resurrection; and Azrael is the angel of death (the etymology of the last name is obscure). Instead of four, there are eight angels that support the throne of God (sura xlix. § 17). Some angels have two, some three, others four wings (sura xxxv. § 2). "They celebrate the praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those that are on earth" (sura xlii. § 2). "Each man hath a succession of angels before and behind him" (sura xiii. § 12). The chief angel, who has charge of hell, is Malik (etymology unknown). Hell has seven doors (sura xv. § 44).
Nineteen angels are set over the fire (sura lxxiv. §§ 30-31). Munkar and Nakir are the angels that interrogate the dead; and another angel, Ruman, makes each man write down his deeds.
Other Religions
Angels are also a part of New Age beliefs, and are sometimes referred to as dakini.
Aleister Crowley, who some call the Magus of the New Aeon, tried to teach people to attain what he called "the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel". He writes in Magick in Theory and Practice that he chose the name because he thought no one of any intelligence would waste time on the theory behind it. Crowley repeatedly warned students of occult phenomena "against attributing objective reality or philosophic validity to any of them."
See also: angels in art, angel of death
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Angel."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
- An angel is a supernatural entity in many religions.
- Some religions speak specifically of an angel of death.
- Angels are widely depicted in art; see angels in art.
- Angel is a character from the Marvel Comics universe whose true name is Warren Kenneth Worthington III and serves as one of the founding members of the X-Men.
- Angel is a US television series, a spin-off from Buffy the Vampire Slayer; see Angel (series).
- There exists a relatively new role-playing game (RPG) called Engel, which is German for Angel. The original german version uses a new kind of RPG system in which the Gamemaster and players draw associative, tarot-like cards instead of rolling dice to determine the outcome of an event.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Angel (disambiguation)."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Angel is the highly successful spin-off from the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Angel has a darker tone than Buffy, and it has generally performed better in the U.S. Nielsen Ratings than its parent series. The series was created by Buffy creator Joss Whedon in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired in October of 1999.The series details the ongoing trials of the vampire Angel, who had his human soul restored to him as a punishment after two centuries of murder and torture of innocents, leaving him tormented by remorse. He works as a private detective in a fictionalized version of Los Angeles, California, where he and a variety of associates work to "help the helpless" and to restore the faith and "save the souls" of those who have lost their way. Typically this involves doing battle with evil demons (which, on Angel, are distinguished from well-meaning, neutral and innocent demons) as well as tangling with demonically-allied humans and his own violent nature.
The original concept for the series was a dramatic modernization of the classical noir detective story, which gained popularity in large part through the works of Raymond Chandler. In much the same way as Buffy had been a recreation of classical horror films, Angel gave the same treatment to the classical Film noir. The central design and format of the series echoed classic noir films -- the first episode even included a Sam Spade style voiceover. The character of Angel was developed here as a recreation of the reluctant, hard boiled Los Angeles detective who has dealings with a variety of underworld characters. In this case, the "underworld" is a more literal underworld of demons and supernatural beings. Many traditional noir stories and characters were explored in earlier episodes, including the ditzy but attractive secretary, the cagey but well informed partner, and clashes with crooked lawyers and meddlesome, too-good-for-their-own-good cops. These were usually given a modern or supernatural twist.
The style and focus of the show has changed considerably over its run, and the original noir idea has been mostly discarded in favor of more large scale fantasy-themed conflicts. One of the characters on the show itself recently described the story-line as "a turgid supernatural soap-opera".
The series has also mirrored Buffy in attaching itself to a higher overarching theme. Where Buffy used supernatural elements as a metaphor for personal issues in adolescence, Angel has employed the same kinds of metaphors to explore higher spiritual and moral issues. The central theme of the series has been the protagonist's quest for redemption. Just as Buffy was intended to capture a sense of the suburban oppression experienced by many teens, Angel has made much use of the feelings of loneliness, danger and callousness often attributed to ultra-urban Los Angeles. The divisions between the ordered world of the day and the chaotic world of the night have been trademark themes of noir and by drawing a protagonist who literally has no daytime life, the series has been able to explore these same themes in more dramatic metaphorical ways.
As the series has gone on, some of the more personal issues on the show have been set aside in favor of more high-minded, abstract ideas. Whereas the show originally dealt with the difficulty of being kind to people on a personal basis, more recently the show has focused on ideas such as the nature of good and evil and the true meaning of being a warrior. Viewer response to the change in the show over time is strongly mixed.
Cast
Regular
- Angel is played by David Boreanaz
- Cordelia Chase is played by Charisma Carpenter
- Doyle was played by Glenn Quinn
- Wesley Wyndham-Pryce is played by Alexis Denisof
- Charles Gunn is played by J. August Richards
- Winifred Burkle (Fred) is played by Amy Acker
- Connor is played by Vincent Kartheiser
- Lorne (The Host) is played by Andy Hallett
- Spike is played by James Marsters
Occasional
- Darla is played by Julie Benz
- Lilah Morgan is played by Stephanie Romanov
- Lindsey McDonald is played by Christian Kane
- Holtz is played by Keith Szarabajka
Plot Summary
Warning: Wikipedia contains spoilers
After moving to Los Angeles, Angel is visited by an Irishman named Doyle who is half human, half Brachan demon. Doyle explains to Angel that he experiences visions from the 'Powers That Be' (also referred to throughout the series as "The PTB's") of people who are in danger or in trouble and that 'The Powers' have sent him as a messenger on their behalf so that Angel can investigate these visions. While on his first investigation Angel bumps into Cordelia Chase, who has also moved to LA to escape Sunnydale and become an actress.
When Cordelia later bumps into vampire problems, Angel comes to the rescue and after that Cordelia comes up with the idea that she, Angel and Doyle should start up a detective agency "to help the helpless - but charge a fee" as she puts it.
Partway through the first season, Doyle dies, sacrifices his life to save a group of defenceless part-human demons who were being hunted down for extermination by an army of pureblooded demons. Just before he dies he passes on his dangerous visions to Cordelia, who will find these visions painful and life threatening later on. Wesley Wyndham-Price (who had a recurring role as the new Watcher in season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) then makes an appearance in the next episode and since then has become a vital part of the team and major character. Season 2 sees Charles Gunn become a regular after guest appearances in the last few episodes of Season 1, and Season 3 sees Fred become a major character after she is saved from a demon dimension at the end of Season 2.
Season 3 progresses as a pregnant Darla (Julie Benz) gives birth to Angel's son Connor (conceived during a one night stand in season 2). After being kidnapped by an old enemy named Holtz (whose family Angelus and Darla killed over a hundred years ago), Angel feels that his son is lost forever. He attacks Wesley, indirectly responsible for the kidnapping, and banishes him from the group.
Near the end of the season, Connor comes back as a teenage boy; but all is not so sweet as Connor has been brainwashed by Holtz to believe that Angel is still the evil vampire Angelus Holtz once knew. In order to gain his final revenge on Angel, the greatly aged Holtz has a follower kill him and frame Angel. The grieving Connor uses his inherited super-strength and his father's unsuspecting love to defeat Angel and imprison him in a casket on the bottom of the ocean. Cordelia disappears the same night due to unrelated circumstances, leaving a very confused Fred and Gunn to carry on at Angel Investigations.
There are many regular appearances, by characters both good and bad. Wolfram and Hart is the evil law firm which is trying to return Angel to his former evil self. Holland Manners is the firm's Special Projects Division, leading Lilah Morgan and Lindsey McDonald on their mission to deprive Angel of his soul. Lorne is a good demon who owns the karaoke bar 'Caritas.' By singing his patrons bare their souls, which the Host can then read, enabling him to advise and guide the singer on their "path." This has often been used by Angel as a source of information on both cases and his own destiny. During season 4 Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan (his real name) becomes a regular in the series.
Throughout the series there have been many guest appearances of characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, such as Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, Seth Green as Oz, James Marsters as Spike, Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg, Eliza Dushku as Faith, Juliet Landau as Drusilla and Julie Benz as Darla, as well as small characters such as Anne (aka Chantarelle from the Buffy Season 2 episode Lie to Me and aka Lily in the Season 3 episode Anne).
On December 3, 2002, Glenn Quinn, who played Doyle in the first season, died at the age of 32.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Angel (series)."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Angel Falls or Salto Angel is the world's highest free-falling waterfall at 978 metres (3,212 feet). It is located on an unnamed tributary of the Rio Caroni in Venezuela. Although first sighted in the early 20th century by the explorer Ernesto de Santa Cruz, they were not known to the world until their official discovery by the American aviator, James Crawford Angel, on a flight whilst searching for gold. Angel was born in Springfield, Missouri in 1899. The official height was determined by a National Geographic Society survey in 1949 (see Jungle Journey to the World's Highest Waterfall by Ruth Robinson). David Mott's book, Angels Four, chronicles the first successful climb up the face of Ayan Tepui (Devil's Mountain) to the top of the falls. The falls are Venezuela's top tourist attraction.Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Angel Falls."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Angel tube station
Larger version
Angel tube station is a London Underground station in Islington. It is on the Bank branch of the Northern Line, between Old Street, Kings Cross St Pancras. It is in zone 1.
Angel has the longest escalators of any station on the Underground.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Angel tube station."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Archangel, also known as Angel, is a fictional character in the X-Men comic book published by the Marvel Comics Group. He is a founding member of the team of superhuman mutants. Archangel is set apart from his fellow members by his wealthy background, and has had some traumatic experiences in the course of his adventures.
- Real Name: Warren Kenneth Worthington III
- Aliases: Archangel, Avenging Angel, Death, Dark Angel
- Group affiliations: X-Men, X-Factor (disbanded), Defenders (disbanded), Champions (disbanded), Horsemen of the Apocalypse (former) The New Defenders (Disbanded)
- Height: 6 Ft.
- Weight: 150 lbs
- Eyes: Blue
- Hair: Blond
- Other distinguishing features: Blue skin. Wings attached to shoulder blades.
- Intelligence: Normal
- Strength: Athlete (may be greater due to genetic manipulation)
- Speed: Natural Winged Flight Limit
- Reflexes: Peak Human
- Agility: Peak Human
- Stamina: Enhanced human
- Endurance: Enhanced human
- Other powers: Superhuman eyesight. Hollow bones and enhanced stamina and endurance to enable him to fly. Two giant avian wings sprouting from his back. Due to the genetic manipulation of the superhuman mutant, Apocalypse, Angel's skin is blue. There may be other undisclosed improvements.
- Source of powers: Benevolent mutation. Genetic engineering or therapy.
- Note: During a battle beneath Manhattan with other superhuman mutants, the Angel lost his original wings. Later he was kidnapped by Apocalypse, who gave him new metallic wings and improved his body through gene therapy, and in the process psychologically altered Angel's mind, making him more violent and easier to control. Since that time, the Angel has rejoined the X-Men, and his wings have reverted from the metallic form back to normal avian wings.
History
Archangel, formerly known as Angel, is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is a mutant, and one of the founding members of the X-Men. His real name is Warren Worthington III. Born in Centerport, Long Island, New York, to Kathryn Worthington and Warren Worthington Jr., he was attending a private school in his adolescence when white, feathered wings began to grow from his shoulder blades. At first he felt he was a freak, but once he learned that he could use his wings to fly and to help people (he saved several people from a fire in his dormitory), he came to enjoy his power. In a few years he founded the X-Men, alongside Scott Summers (Cyclops), Hank McCoy (Beast), Bobby Drake (Iceman) and Jean Grey (who was then known as Marvel Girl but has used various aliases throughout the years.) For a time, Warrington was wingless, having sustained damaging injuries during a battle and having his wings amputated. He sold out to the mutant Apocalypse for a pair of metallic wings and for a time served Apocalypse as one of his four henchmen. Eventually he left and joined a new team of mutants, the X-Factor. At this time, fully feathered wings began to grow back from under his metal ones. Angel is currently a member of the X-Factor, along with his girlfriend Besty Braddock (Psylocke).
Angel's wings have superhuman strength and can create enough lift to enable him to carry at least 500 pounds in addition to his own weight. They have a very flexible skeletal structure, enabling him to press them to the back of his torso and legs with only the slightest bulge visible under his clothing. His bones are hollow, he processes food more efficiently than normal humans and does not store any fat, and he posesses a greater proportionate muscle mass than normal. His eyes can regenerate extra thick lachrymose fluids to withstand high-speed winds which would damage the average human eye. He possesses a special membrane in his lungs which allows him to extract oxygen from the air at high velocities or altitudes.
He generally flies below the height of clouds (6,500 feet), but the Angel can reach a height of 10,000 feet with little effort. At his absolute maximum he can reach the highest recorded altitude of a bird in flight - about 29,000 feet, or about the height above sea level of Mount Everest, but he can only remain that high for several minutes. He can fly nonstop under his own power for a maximum of twelve hours.
Recently he developed a secondary mutation, developing the new found power of a healing factor and can cure others by mixing his blood with theirs.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Archangel (comics)."
Synonyms: AngelSynonyms: backer (n), holy man (n), holy person (n), saint (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Angel | Noun: angel, archangel; guardian angel; heavenly host, host of heaven, sons of God; seraph, seraphim; cherub, cherubim. |
Auxiliary | Votary; sectarian, secretary; seconder, backer, upholder, abettor, advocate, partisan, champion, patron, friend at court, mediator; angel. |
Friend in need, Jack at a pinch, deus ex machina, guardian angel, tutelary genius. | |
Bad Man | Rou_, rake; Sadist; skeesicks, skeezix; limb; one who has sold himself to the devil, fallen angel, ame damnee, vaurien, mauvais sujet, loose fish, sad dog; rounder; lost sheep, black sheep; castaway, recreant, defaulter; prodigal. |
Benefactor | Noun: benefactor, savior, good genius, tutelary saint, guardian angel, good Samaritan; pater patriae; salt of the earth; (good man); auxiliary. |
Good Man | Model, paragon; (perfection); good example; hero, heroine, demigod, seraph, angel; innocent; saint; (piety); benefactor; philanthropist; Aristides; noble liver, pattern. |
Intemperance | Bhang, hashish, marijuana, pot, hemp, grass; opium, cocaine, morphine, heroin; LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide; phencyclidine, angel dust, PCP; barbiturates; amphetamines, speed. |
Love | Lovable, adorable; lovely, sweet; attractive, seductive, winning; charming, engaging, interesting, enchanting, captivating, fascinating, bewitching; amiable, like an angel. |
Inamorata, ladylove, idol, darling, duck, Dulcinea, angel, goddess, cara sposa. | |
Piety | Phrase: ne vile fano; "pure-eyed Faith.. thou hovering angel girt with golden wings". |
Safety | Safe-conduct, escort, convoy; guard, shield; (defense); guardian angel; tutelary god, tutelary deity, tutelary saint; genius loci. |
Satan | The tempter; the evil one, the evil spirit; the Adversary; the archenemy; the author of evil, the wicked one, the old Serpent; the Prince of darkness, the Prince of this world, the Prince of the power of the air; the foul fiend, the arch fiend; the devil incarnate; the common enemy, the angel of the bottomless pit; Abaddon, Apollyon. |
The Drama | Producer, entrepreneur, impresario; backer, investor, angel. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Every time you've heard someone say they saw a ghost, or an angel. Every story you've ever heard about vampires, werewolves, or aliens, is the system assimilating some program that's doing something they're not supposed to be doing (The Matrix Reloaded; writing credit: Andy Wachowski; Larry Wachowski) Who will take care of me my love, my dark angel, when you are gone (Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles; writing credit: Anne Rice) Teacher says every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings (It's a Wonderful Life; writing credit: Philip Van Doren Stern; Frances Goodrich) You sure picked a strange angel, baby (Lethal Weapon 4; writing credit: Shane Black; Jonathan Lemkin) He has the eyes of an angel. (Kalifornia; writing credit: Tim Metcalfe. Starring Brad Pitt as Early Grayce, Juliette Lewis as Adele Corners, David Duchovny as Brian Kessler, and Michelle Forbes as Carrie Laughlin.) | |
Lyrics | You're my angel, my miracle, you're all I need to know, tonight (Angel; performing artist: Lionel Richie) Oh, Blue Angel Don't you cry Just because he said goodbye Oh, uh, uh aah No, don't cry (Blue Angel; performing artist: Roy Orbison) Had an angel of mercy (Amazing; performing artist: Aerosmith) Aint no angel gonna greet me, (STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA; performing artist: Bruce Springsteen) What you do to me all night angel (Thought I'd Died And Gone To Heaven; performing artist: Bryan Adams) | |
Clever | Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly. (references; author: unknown) What boys say to girls: Are you lost? Because it's so strange to see an angel so far from Heaven. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Angel on Fire (1974) Sex Angel (1974) Young Angel (1974) Teen Angel (1973) Charley and the Angel (1973) | |
Song Titles | Earth Angel (performing artist: The Crew Cuts) Angel Eyes (performing artist: Jeff Healey Band) Angel (performing artist: Jon Secada) Angel Of The Morning (performing artist: Juice Newton) Angel (performing artist: Lionel Richie) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books | |||
Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
| ||
High Tech |
| ||
Consumer Goods |
| ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Staff Sgt. Ronald Smith, team of Airmen 1st Class Christian Bellenger and Patrick Angel. |  | Disinfecting clothin, Angel Island, S.F. immigration station 1931. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |
 | Aliens arriving at the immigration station, Angel Island, California. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |  | A man, the devil, and an angel. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Now, a fallen angel, he travelled this path again. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Congress being dressed as an angel by Senators Johnson and Connally while Uncle Sam grumbles. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | In "Office of recording angel" a startled angel gazes at book entry reading, "John Henry Jones, New York, N.Y., 1906 April". Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Angel and cherub, Philadelphia. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Angel Cordero, half-length portrait, facing front, dressed in racing silks. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | The Grand Canon [sic] of Arizona, up Granite Gorge, foot of Bright Angel Trail. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Angel" by Krzysztof Baran Commentary: "Angel and lights." | "Angel feet" by Erica Hasenjager Commentary: "Old metairie cemetary, new orleans. Taken january 17th 2003." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Abraham Lincoln | All I am, or can be, I owe to my angel mother. |
Arthur Schopenhauer | Books are like a mirror. If an ass looks in, you can't expect an angel to look out. |
Blaise Pascal | Man is neither angel nor beast; and the misfortune is that he who would act the angel acts the beast. |
Doris Lessing | Trust no friend without faults, and love a woman, but no angel. |
Robert Browning | O lyric Love, half angel and half bird. And all a wonder and a wild desire. |
The Talmud | Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, grow, grow. |
Voltaire | Anyone who seeks to destroy the passions instead of controlling them is trying to play the angel. |
William M. Thackeray | 'Tis strange what a man may do, and a woman yet think him an angel. |
William Shakespeare | What angel wakes me from my flowery bed? |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Emma | Austen, Jane | Is not she an angel in every gesture |
A Christmas Carol | Dickens, Charles | I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | The lower she sank, the more all became gloomy around her, the more the sweet little angel shone out in the bottom of her heart |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Joyce, James | The three blasts of the angel filled all the universe |
Measure for Measure | William Shakespeare | O, what may man within him hide, though angel on the outward side |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Civil Liberties | Guatemala | All four of the country's national television stations are owned by a Mexican citizen, Angel Gonzalez, who plays a significant role in politics and provides free broadcast time to FRG politicians whom he supports. (references) |
Guatemala | In an interview published on June 4, Salvador Bonini, president of the Guatemalan Journalists Association, characterized the situation of the media as "not so much a conflict as a direct attack by television on the independent written press." On September 5, the President promised delegates from the Inter-American Press Society (IAPS) that the Government would auction off the frequencies of two national television channels, thereby ending the monopoly control of Angel Gonzalez. (references) | |
Economic History | Costa Rica | In the February 1998 national election, Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) candidate Miguel Angel Rodriguez won the presidency over National Liberation Party (PLN) nominee Jose Miguel Corrales. (references) |
Human Rights | Guyana | Two men, Stephen Angel and Sais Ghani, were shot and killed. (references) |
Mexico | In April federal authorities apprehended Angel Abel Duran on drug charges in Chihuahua state. (references) | |
Nicaragua | On June 12, police officer Miguel Angel Zapata Gomez shot and wounded his neighbor, Bartolo Perez Rodriguez during an argument in Boaco. (references) | |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | DIARY, n. A daily record of that part of one's life, which he can relate to himself without blushing. Hearst kept a diary wherein were writ All that he had of wisdom and of wit. So the Recording Angel, when Hearst died, Erased all entries of his own and cried: "I'll judge you by your diary." Said Hearst: "Thank you; 'twill show you I am Saint the First" -- Straightway producing, jubilant and proud, That record from a pocket in his shroud. The Angel slowly turned the pages o'er, Each stupid line of which he knew before, Glooming and gleaming as by turns he hit On Shallow sentiment and stolen wit; Then gravely closed the book and gave it back. "My friend, you've wandered from your proper track: You'd never be content this side the tomb -- For big ideas Heaven has little room, And Hell's no latitude for making mirth," He said, and kicked the fellow back to earth. "The Mad Philosopher" |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Angel" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 80.63% of the time. "Angel" is used about 1,269 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 80.63% | 1,023 | 7,253 |
| Noun (proper) | 19.37% | 246 | 19,009 |
| Total | 100.00% | 1,269 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "angel" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Angel | First name Female | 35,000 | 424 |
| Angel | First name Male | 82,000 | 205 |
| Angel | Last name | 5,000 | 2,370 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
| "Angel" is a name that signifies or is derived from: "a messenger". | |||
| The following table summarizes names derived from the word "angel". | |||
| Name | Gender | Language | Meaning |
| Malakai | N/A | N/A | My angel |
| Malachi | N/A | Biblical | My angel |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references.
| |||
| The following table summarizes names related to "Angel." | |||
| Name | Gender | Language | Related Name |
| Angel | Male, Female | English | N/A |
| Angela | Female | English | Angel |
| Angèle | Female | French | Angel |
| Angela | Female | German | Angel |
| Angelos | Male | Greek | Angel |
| Angela | Female | Italian | Angel |
| Angelo | Male | Italian | Angel |
| Angela | Female | Romanian | Angel |
| Ángela | Female | Spanish | Angel |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
Expressions using "angel": Angel bed ♦ angel cake ♦ Angel Chiropractic Care ♦ angel dust ♦ angel Falls ♦ angel Fire ♦ Angel fish ♦ angel fishes ♦ angel food cake ♦ Angel gold ♦ angel kiss ♦ angel of death ♦ angel of refraction ♦ Angel shark ♦ Angel shot ♦ Angel water ♦ avenging angel ♦ better angel ♦ Black angel ♦ blue angel ♦ death angel ♦ destroying angel ♦ fallen angel ♦ flap angel ♦ guardian angel ♦ like an angel ♦ ministering angel ♦ Mount Angel ♦ sing like an angel ♦ sun angel ♦ the angel of death. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "angel": angel-dancer, angel-dust, angel-enabler, angel-face, angel-faced, angel-fish, angel-like, angel-on-the-shoulder, angel-snout, angel-tonsilled, angel-top, angel-wing, angel-wing begonia. | |
Ending with "angel": flying-angel, half-angel, sea-angel. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
angel | 27,732 | angel veil | 1,169 |
charlies angel | 9,485 | charlies angel 2 | 1,081 |
2 angel charlies full still throttle | 6,399 | angel and buffy | 1,033 |
angel charlies full premiere throttle | 6,071 | touched by an angel | 1,031 |
angel picture | 3,604 | guardian angel | 1,006 |
angel wife lover | 3,200 | angel darkness raider through tomb walk | 900 |
anaheim angel | 3,016 | angel wings | 892 |
angel fire | 2,760 | angel cheat darkness raider tomb | 868 |
angel charlies full throttle | 2,362 | angel painting | 863 |
dark angel | 2,165 | fallen angel | 834 |
hell angel | 2,030 | angel boris | 780 |
angel art | 2,019 | angel collectible | 701 |
concrete angel | 1,926 | angel ornament | 691 |
blue angel | 1,921 | angel baby | 691 |
angel fish | 1,900 | little angel | 689 |
angel tattoo | 1,651 | angel porn | 665 |
tomb raider angel of darkness | 1,406 | angel sanctuary | 598 |
tiny angel | 1,335 | charlie angel | 583 |
angel figurine | 1,299 | angel of darkness | 570 |
angel gift | 1,217 | angel baseball | 562 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "angel"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | beskermengel (guardian, guardian angel). (various references) | |
Albanian | engjëll (cherub, seraph). (various references) | |
Arabic | ملاك (cadre, landowner, personnel, stuff), عملة ذهبية إنجيلزية قديمة, امرأة كالملاك جمالا, الممول (investor), إنسان رقيق. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | стара английска златна монета, финансов поддръжник, ангел. (various references) | |
Chinese | 天使 (Angelic, Angelical, Angelically, Angels). (various references) | |
Czech | andìl (seraph). (various references) | |
Danish | engel. (various references) | |
Dutch | engel (female angel). (various references) | |
Esperanto | anĝelo, anĝelino (female angel). (various references) | |
Faeroese | eingil. (various references) | |
Farsi | فرشته (Intelligence), مالک (Have, Landlord, Lord, Owner, Possessor, Proprietor). (various references) | |
Finnish | enkeli. (various references) | |
French | ange. (various references) | |
Frisian | ingel. (various references) | |
German | Engel (angels, lamb). (various references) | |
Greek | παράσιτο στην οθόνη ραντάρ, άγγελοσ, άγγελος (angel shark, angelfish, monkfish). (various references) | |
Hebrew | מלאך (cherub, messenger, seraph), אדם נחמד, אראל (hero), טפסר (commander, general, scribe). (various references) | |
Hungarian | angyal (as good as gold, cherub, cherubim). (various references) | |
Icelandic | engill. (various references) | |
Indonesian | malaikat (cherub, cherubim), bidadari (beautiful woman, fairy, nymph, sylph). (various references) | |
Irish | aingeal. (various references) | |
Italian | angelo (Angelo). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 天使 , 天使 , 天の使い , エンジン発動機 (angel baby, angelfish, embassy, emblem, emboss, embroidery, empathy, emperor, emphasis, emphasize, empire, Empire Day, Empire State Building, empress, emptiomania, empty, empty nest, empty nest syndrome, end, end curler, end line, end user, -endian, ending, endive, endless, endless tape, endorphin, engine, engine stop, engineering plastics, enhancement, entasis, enter, enterprise, entertainer, entertainment, entitled, entity, entrance, entropy, entry, envelope, hit-and-run, two-base entitlement), エルピー盤 (aerogram, elbow, Electone, Electra complex, electric, electric guitar, electricity, electroluminescence, electron, electronic, electronic banking, electronic cooking, electronic cottage, electronic file, electronic mail, electronic money, electronic music, electronic office, electronic sound, electronics, elegance, elegant, elegy, element, elementary, elevation, elevator, elf, elm, elocution, elven, encapsulation, enclosure, encode, encoder, encoding, encounter, encyclopedia, engage, engagement, engagement ring, engine, engine brake, engineer, engineering, engineering plastics, enjoy, erect, erection, erogenous zone, Eroica, Eros, erotic, erotic and grotesque, erotic and grotesque nonsense, erotic production, erotica, eroticism, erotism, erotomania, Herman, Hermes, ignition key, long-playing record, LP), み使い (be impatient, bushy, conspicuously, crunch, giant flying squirrel, incomprehensible muttering, irresistibly, itch, itchy, make good use of, make the most of, morose, munch, nausea, offended, queasy, ragged, rugged, shaggy, soy sauce, stuffy, suddenly, sullen, surge of anger, talking in sleep, to be fretful, to be in a spleen, to be in a temper, to be in ill humour, to be irritated, to be vexed, to become angry or sullen, to become serious, to blow, to feel irritated, to feel offended, to feel sick, to fret, to have the appearance of ~, to jerk off, to masturbate, to show signs of ~, to take somethingseriously, woman's desire). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | エンゼル , エンジェル , みつかい, てんのつかい, てんし (heavenly gift, imperial gift, natural elements, nature, the emperor). (various references) | |
Korean | 천사 (Angels). (various references) | |
Manx | giallican (albumen, glair), ainle. (various references) | |
Papiamen | angel. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | angelay.(various references) | |
Polish | anioł. (various references) | |
Portuguese | anjo (cherub). (various references) | |
Romanian | înger (cherub). (various references) | |
Russian | ангел. (various references) | |
Scottish | aingeal (fire, light). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | anđeoski (angelic, cherubic, seraphic), anđeo (cherub, seraph). (various references) | |
Spanish | ángel. (various references) | |
Swahili | malaika. (various references) | |
Swedish | ängel (son of god). (various references) | |
Tagalog | anghél. (various references) | |
Thai | เทพธิดา (goddess), คนที่ใจดี. (various references) | |
Turkish | melek (cherub, goody goody). (various references) | |
Turkmen | periюde. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | театральний меценат, ангел, англійьска золота монета. (various references) | |
Vietnamese | thiên thần, thiên sứ người phúc hậu, người hiền lành, người đáng yêu. (various references) | |
Welsh | angyles, angel. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Greek | 700 BCE-300 CE | angelos. (various references) |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | angelus. (various references) |
| Avestan | 200-600 | ýazata. (various references) |
| Old English | 450-1100 | engel, gast. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Matthew Chapter 1, Verse 20 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | Tauta de autou enqumhqentoV idou aggeloV kuriou kat onar efanh autw legwn iwshf uioV dabid mh fobhqhV paralabein mariam thn gunaika sou to gar en auth gennhqen ek pneumatoV estin agiou |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Haec autem eo cogitante ecce angelus Domini in somnis apparuit ei dicens Ioseph fili David noli timere accipere Mariam coniugem tuam quod enim in ea natum est de Spiritu Sancto est |
| Old English | 990 | West Saxon | Him þa soðliche þas þing þenchendum.drihtnes ængel on swefnum ateowede.& hym to cwæð. Ioseph dauiðes suna. nyleþu ondræden. marian þine gemæcchen toonfonne. þæt on hyre gekenned ys. hyt isof þan halgen gaste. |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | But while he thouyte thes thingis, lo! the aungel of the Lord apperide `in sleep to hym, and seide, Joseph, the sone of Dauid, nyle thou drede to take Marie, thi wijf; for that thing that is borun in hir is of the Hooli Goost. |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | Whill he thus thought behold ye angell of ye Lorde appered vnto him in a dreame saynge: Ioseph ye sonne of David feare not to take vnto ye Mary thy wyfe. For that which is coceaved in her is of the holy goost. |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | But while he thought on these things, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take to thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | But when he was giving thought to these things, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, have no fear of taking Mary as your wife; because that which is in her body is of the Holy Spirit. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Matthew Chapter 1, Verse 20 |
| Cebuano | Apan sa nagpalandong siya sa pagbuhat niini, tan-awa, usa ka manolunda sa Ginoo mitungha kaniya pinaagi sa damgo ug miingon, "Jose, anak ni David, ayaw pagpanuko sa pagpangasawa kang Maria, kay kanang iyang gisamkon gikan sa Espiritu Santo. |
| Chinese | 正 思 念 這 事 的 時 候 、 有 主 的 使 者 向 他 夢 中 顯 現 、 說 、 大 衛 的 子 孫 約 瑟 、 不 要 怕 、 只 管 娶 過 你 的 妻 子 馬 利 亞 來 ． 因 他 所 懷 的 孕 、 是 從 聖 靈 來 的 。 |
| Croatian | Dok je on to snovao, gle, anðeo mu se Gospodnji ukaza u snu i reèe: "Josipe, sine Davidov, ne boj se uzeti k sebi Mariju, ženu svoju. Što je u njoj zaèeto, doista je od Duha Svetoga. |
| Danish | Men idet han tænkte derpå, se, da viste en Herrens Engel sig for ham i en drøm og sagde: "Josef, Davids Søn! frygt ikke for at tage din Hustru Maria til dig; thi det, som er avlet i hende, er af den Helligånd. |
| Dutch | En alzo hij deze dingen in den zin had, ziet, de engel des Heeren verscheen hem in den droom, zeggende: Jozef, gij zone Davids! wees niet bevreesd Maria, uw vrouw, tot u te nemen; want hetgeen in haar ontvangen is, dat is uit den Heiligen Geest; |
| Finnish | Mutta kun hän tätä ajatteli, niin katso, hänelle ilmestyi unessa Herran enkeli, joka sanoi: "Joosef, Daavidin poika, älä pelkää ottaa tykösi Mariaa, vaimoasi; sillä se, mikä hänessä on siinnyt, on Pyhästä Hengestä. |
| French | Comme il y pensait, voici, un ange du Seigneur lui apparut en songe, et dit: Joseph, fils de David, ne crains pas de prendre avec toi Marie, ta femme, car l`enfant qu`elle a conçu vient du Saint Esprit; |
| German | Indem er aber also gedachte, siehe, da erschien ihm ein Engel des HERRN im Traum und sprach: Joseph, du Sohn Davids, fürchte dich nicht, Maria, dein Gemahl, zu dir zu nehmen; denn das in ihr geboren ist, das ist von dem heiligen Geist. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Sementara Yusuf menimbang-nimbang hal itu, ia bermimpi. Dalam mimpinya itu, ia melihat seorang malaikat Tuhan yang berkata kepadanya, "Yusuf, keturunan Daud, jangan takut menikah dengan Maria; sebab anak yang di dalam kandungannya itu terjadi oleh kuasa Roh Allah. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Tetapi sedang ia berpikir demikian, kelihatanlah padanya di dalam mimpi seorang malaekat Tuhan, yang berkata, "Hai Yusuf, anak Daud, janganlah engkau kuatir menerima Maryam itu menjadi isterimu, karena kandungannya itu terbitnya daripada Rohulkudus. |
| Manx Gaelic | Agh choud as va ny reddyn shoh er e aigney, cur-my-ner haink ainle y Chiarn huggey ayns ashlish, gra, Yoseph, vac Ghavid, ny bee aggle ort dy ghoaill hood Moirrey dty ven: son shen t'er ny ghientyn aynjee, te jeh'n Spyrryd Noo. |
| Maori | Otiia i a ia e hurihuri ana i enei mea, na, ka puta moemoea mai tetahi anahera a te Ariki ki a ia, ka mea, E Hohepa, e te tama a Rawiri, kaua e hopohopo ki te tango i a Meri, i tau wahine; na te Wairua Tapu hoki tona hapu. |
| Norwegian | Mens han nu grundet på dette, se, da åpenbarte Herrens engel sig for ham i en drøm og sa: Josef, Davids sønn! frykt ikke for å ta din hustru Maria til dig! for det som er avlet i henne, er av den Hellige Ånd; |
| Portuguese | E, projetando ele isso, eis que em sonho lhe apareceu um anjo do Senhor, dizendo: José, filho de Davi, não temas receber a Maria, tua mulher, pois o que nela se gerou é do Espírito Santo; |
| Rumanian | Dar pe cknd se gkndea el la aceste lucruri, i s`a arqtat kn vis un knger al Domnului, wi i -a zis: ,,Iosife, fiul lui David, nu te teme sq iei la tine pe Maria, nevastq-ta, cqci ce s`a zqmislit kn ea, este dela Duhul Sfknt. |
| Shuar | Nuna tu Enentáimia Pujái, mesekranam Yusa suntari Tarí chicharuk Tímiayi "Juséá, ame weatrum Tawitchakait. Tuma asam Marijiai nuatnaikiatin ashamkaip. Uchin jurertatna nuka Yusa Wakaníniuiti. |
| Swahili | Alipokuwa bado anawaza jambo hilo, malaika wa Bwana alimtokea katika ndoto, akamwambia, "Yosefu, mwana wa Daudi, usiogope kumchukua Maria awe mke wako, maana amekuwa mja mzito kwa uwezo wa Roho Mtakatifu. |
| Swedish | Men när han hade fått detta i sinnet, se, då visade sig i drömmen en Herrens ängel för honom och sade: "Josef, Davids son, frukta icke att taga till dig Maria, din hustru; ty det som är avlat i henne är av helig ande. |
| Uma | Bula-na Yusuf mokanono mpopekiri toe, mo'ompo' -i. Ompo' -na toe, mpohilo-i hadua mala'eka Pue' to mpo'uli' -ki: "Yusuf, muli Magau' Daud! Neo' -ko morara' mpotobine-i Maria. Apa' ana' to napotina'i-ki toe ria, jadi' ngkai baraka' Inoha' Tomoroli'. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "angel": angeled, angelfish, angelfishes, angelic, angelica, angelical, angelically, angelicas, angeling, angelologies, angelologist, angelologists, angelology, angels, angelus, angeluses. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "angel": archangel, evangel, mangel. (additional references) | |
Words containing "angel": archangelic, archangels, changeless, changelessly, changelessness, changelessnesses, changeling, changelings, evangelic, evangelical, evangelically, evangelicals, evangelism, evangelisms, evangelist, evangelistic, evangelistically, evangelists, evangelization, evangelizations, evangelize, evangelized, evangelizes, evangelizing, evangels, mangels, rangeland, rangelands, strangely, tangelo, tangelos, televangelism, televangelisms, televangelist, televangelists. (additional references) | |
| |
"Angel" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: abgal, agal, Agcl, agnel, ainel, Aingle, amngle, ancel, ancell, andel, aneil, anel, anell, anely, Angal, ange, Angele, angello, Angeln, angelo, angen, angeo, anget, Angjeli, angl, angly, Angold, Angoll, angul, angwe, Aniel, anjel, anle, annel, Annell, Anrep, ansel, antel, anvel, arnel, augelli, aygell, Azgal, Azgul, bangel, demi, enge, engl, gangel, Gangell, Hangul, ingol, jangal, Nagal, Nagaul, nagel, naget, nagl, nagle, Namgyel, Nanjil, Nazgul, ngael, Ognell, ongle, wangel. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "angel" (pronounced ā"njul) |
| 5 | ā" n j u l | Archangel. |
| 3 | -j u l | agile, cordial, cudgel, fragile, vigil. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: angle, glean. | |
| Words within the letters "a-e-g-l-n" | |
-1 letter: egal, elan, gaen, gale, gane, glen, lane, lang, lean. | |
-2 letters: age, ale, ane, eng, gae, gal, gan, gel, gen, lag, lea, leg, nae, nag. | |
-3 letters: ae, ag, al, an, el, en, la, na, ne. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-e-g-l-n" | |
+1 letter: angels, angled, angler, angles, anlage, bangle, dangle, flange, galena, gelant, genial, glance, gleans, jangle, lagend, lagune, langue, legman, linage, mangel, mangle, regnal, tangle, wangle. | |
+2 letters: agelong, aligned, aligner, allonge, aneling, angeled, angelic, angelus, angerly, anglers, anglice, anlagen, anlages, atingle, bangles, clanged, clanger, congeal, dangled, dangler, dangles, dealing, eanling, elating, elegant, engrail, enlarge, euglena, evangel, fenagle, finagle, flagmen, flanged, flanger, flanges, galenas, galenic, gallein, galleon, gamelan, gangrel, gantlet, gelants, gelatin, gellant, geminal, general, genital, gladden, glanced, glancer, glances, glandes, gleaned, gleaner, gleeman, gnarled, granule, grapnel, gunwale, halogen, healing, jangled, jangler, jangles, lagends, lagunes, langley, langrel, langues, languet, lasagne, leading, leafing, leaking, leaning, leaping, leasing, leaving, linages, lineage, linguae, linkage, mangels, mangled, mangler, mangles, melange, nargile, pealing, realign, reginal, sealing, slanged, spangle, tangelo, tangled, tangler, tangles, twangle, unagile, ungulae, vealing, wangled, wangler, wangles, wrangle, yealing. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Quotations: Familiar 10. Quotations: Fiction 11. Quotations: Non-fiction 12. Usage Frequency | 13. Names: Frequency 14. Names: Derived from 15. Expressions 16. Expressions: Internet | 17. Translations: Modern 18. Translations: Ancient 19. Bible Trace 20. Derivations | 21. Rhymes 22. Anagrams 23. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
