Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Paganism |
PaganismNoun1. Any of various religions other than Christianity or Judaism or Islamism. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "paganism" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1321. (references) |
Synonyms: PaganismSynonyms: heathenism (n), pagan religion (n). (additional references) |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The term is sometimes used by Christians as a pejorative term to indicate a person who doesn't believe in Christianity. "Paganism" is also sometimes used to mean the lack of (an accepted monotheistic) religion, and therefore sometimes means essentially the same as atheism. "Paganism" frequently refers to the religions of classical antiquity, most notably Greek mythology or Roman religion, and can be used neutrally or admiringly by those who refer to those complexes of belief. However, until the rise of Romanticism and the general acceptance of freedom of religion in Western civilization, "paganism" was almost always used disparagingly of someone else's beliefs. It has more recently been used admiringly by those who find the monotheistic religions confining or colourless. Especially since Romanticism, there have been increasing numbers of people who agree with William Wordsworth, that:
This also includes religions such as Forn Sed and Romuva that claim to revive traditional religion rather than reconstruct it, though in general the difference is not absolutely fixed. Practitioners of these tend to object to the term "Neopaganism" for their religion as they consider what they are doing not to be a new thing.
The Latin word paganus is an adjective meaning "rural", "rustic" or "of the country" and in the 4th century AD had developed a negative connotation of "rustically unsophisticated" ie "country bumpkin" in line with Classical civilization's high valuation on urban life. In the 5th century as Christianity began to take hold in the cities for example in ancient Gaul the pagani, were as yet untouched by this new religion, and so the negative connotation of the word combined with the religious difference to give the then-new meaning to the word pagan.
Christianity also became a major religion in the Roman army. Here "pagani" has meanings of non-combatant, pacifist, with attendant derision. From the widespread popularity of Christianity among slaves, the most numerous class in the Roman Empire, by contrast "pagani" acquired connotations of "uppity", "dissident" and so on to "heretic."
Certain scholarly fashions from the medieval period onwards, attempted to assert the value of sophisticated Pagans such as Aristotle and Plato and Ovid. This had some influence among upper class educated people but did little to counter a more general prejudice.
Origins and meanings of the term
External link
Anthropological terms for Pagan
Also see: Listing of noted Pagans
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Paganism."
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Heterodoxy | Paganism, heathenism, ethicism; mythology; polytheism, ditheism, tritheism; dualism; heathendom. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Paganism |
| English words defined with "paganism": Ethnicism ♦ Gentilism ♦ Pagandom, Paganical, Paganity ♦ Repaganize ♦ Tantra, Tantrism. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "paganism": Epicureans ♦ Stoics. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "paganism": Ethnicism ♦ Neopaganism ♦ Painim. (references) |
| Domain | Title |
Books |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Desiderius Erasmus | What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| "Paganism" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Paganism" is used about 66 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) | 100% | 66 | 41,290 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| Hypenated Usage | |
Ending with "paganism": neo-paganism. | |
| 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 |
paganism | 391 |
neo paganism | 25 |
celtic paganism | 13 |
paganism wicca | 7 |
dark paganism | 6 |
paganism and christianity | 5 |
canada paganism | 5 |
pagan paganism | 4 |
greek paganism | 4 |
history paganism | 4 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "paganism"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | paganizëm (heathenism, pagandom, pan). (various references) | |
Arabic | وثنية, دين وثني. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | езичество (heathendom, heathenism). (various references) | |
Czech | pohanství (heathendom). (various references) | |
Dutch | heidendom. (various references) | |
Esperanto | paganismo. (various references) | |
Farsi | الحاد (Atheism, Heresy, Lapse). (various references) | |
Finnish | pakanuus (heathenism). (various references) | |
French | paganisme. (various references) | |
German | heidentum (heathendom, heathenism). (various references) | |
Hebrew | תרפות (idolatry), פ' יות, עבו"ת אלילים (idolatry), עבו"" זר" (idolatry), אלילות (idolatry). (various references) | |
Hungarian | pogányság (heathendom, pagandom). (various references) | |
Italian | paganesimo (heathenism). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 邪教 (heathenism, heresy), 異教 . (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | いきょう (foreign country, gastroscope, strange land), じゃきょう (heathenism, heresy). (various references) | |
Manx | paganaght (heathenism). (various references) | |
Papiamen | paganismo. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | aganismpay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | idólatra (dotted line, heathen, heathenish, idolator, idolatry). (various references) | |
Romanian | pãgânism (heathenism). (various references) | |
Russian | язычество (heathendom, heathenism, pagandom). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | paganstvo (pagandom), paganizam, neznaboštvo (atheism, heathendom, heathenism). (various references) | |
Spanish | paganismo (heathen, heathendom, heathenism, pagandom). (various references) | |
Swedish | hedendom (heathendom, heathenism). (various references) | |
Turkish | putperestlik (heathenism, idolatry, image-worship). (various references) | |
Ukranian | язичество (heathendom, heathenism, infidelity, pagandom). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | t giáo, đạo nhiều thần (polytheism). (various references) | |
Welsh | paganiaeth (heathenism). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | idola, idoli, idolis, idolo, idolorum, idolum. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "paganism": paganisms. (additional references) | |
| |
"Paganism" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: bevanism, paganus, Paganuzzi, pagonism, Panagius, panganic, pavanas, Pavannes. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "paganism" (pronounced pā"guni'zum) |
| 7 | -g u n i' z u m | antagonism, hooliganism, microorganism, organism. |
| 6 | -u n i' z u m | abolitionism, agrarianism, anachronism, authoritarianism, chauvinism, communism, creationism, determinism, egalitarianism, expansionism, expressionism, feminism, hedonism, humanism, illusionism, impressionism, interventionism, isolationism, lesbianism, mechanism, obstructionism, parkinsonism, perfectionism, protectionism, puritanism, republicanism, revisionism, satanism, sectarianism, tokenism, totalitarianism, unionism, vegetarianism. |
| 5 | -n i' z u m | modernism, monism, opportunism. |
| 4 | -i' z u m | absenteeism, absolutism, activism, adventurism, alcoholism, altruism, amateurism, aneurism, animism, aphorism, astigmatism, atavism, atheism, autism, baptism, barbarism, bilingualism, bolshevism, boosterism, botulism, cannibalism, capitalism, catechism, centralism, classicism, collectivism, colonialism, commercialism, conservatism, consumerism, corporatism, counterterrorism, criticism, cronyism, cubism, cynicism, dandyism, defeatism, deism, despotism, diamagnetism, diastrophism, dimorphism, dogmatism, Druidism, dualism, dwarfism, dynamism, egoism, egotism, electromagnetism, elitism, embolism, emotionalism, empiricism, entrepreneurialism, environmentalism, ergotism, eroticism, escapism, ethnocentrism, euphemism, evangelism, extremism, factionalism, fanaticism, fascism, fatalism, favoritism, federalism, ferromagnetism, fetishism, feudalism, formalism, fundamentalism, futurism, geotropism, gnosticism, gradualism, helotism, heroism, hypnotism, idealism, imperialism, incrementalism, individualism, intellectualism, internationalism, Irredentism, isomorphism, jingoism, journalism, leftism, legalism, liberalism, lyricism, magnetism, mannerism, masochism, materialism, mercantilism, mesmerism, metabolism, methodism, militarism, minimalism, monasticism, monetarism, monotheism, moralism, multiculturalism, multilateralism, mutualism, mysticism, narcissism, nationalism, nativism, naturalism, negativism, nepotism, neutralism, nihilism, optimism, ostracism, overoptimism, pacifism, parallelism, parochialism, pastoralism, paternalism, patriotism, pessimism, pharisaism, pietism, plagiarism, pluralism, polymorphism, polytheism, populism, positivism, pragmatism, professionalism, provincialism, racialism, racism, radicalism, realism, recidivism, relativism, rheumatism, romanticism, sadism, secularism, sensationalism, separatism, sexism, skepticism, socialism, statism, stoicism, supernaturalism, surrealism, symbolism, synergism, territorialism, terrorism, theism, tourism, truism, vandalism, vigilantism, voluntarism, volunteerism, voyeurism. |
| 3 | -z u m | bosom, careerism, chasm, cytoplasm, enthusiasm, iconoclasm, ism, microcosm, neoplasm, orgasm, phantasm, prism, sarcasm, schism, spasm. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-a-g-i-m-n-p-s" | |
-1 letter: magians, siamang. | |
-2 letters: amigas, animas, gamins, gasman, magian, manias, pagans, paisan, pangas, sampan. | |
-3 letters: again, agism, agmas, amain, amias, amiga, amins, amnia, angas, anima, apian, aping, gains, gamas, gamin, gamps, gimps, mains, manas, mania, minas, nipas, pagan, pains, paisa, panga, pangs, pians, pimas, pinas, pings, saiga, sanga, sigma, spang. | |
-4 letters: agas, agin, agma, aims, ains, amas, amia, amin, amis, amps, anas, anga, anis, ansa, gain, gama, gamp, gams, gaps, gasp, gimp, gins, gips, imps, magi, mags, main, mana, mans, maps, migs, mina, nags, naps, nims, nipa, nips, pain, pams, pang, pans, pian, pias, pigs, pima, pina, ping, pins, saga, sain, samp, sang, sign, sima, simp, sing, snag, snap, snip, spam, span, spin. | |
-5 letters: aas, aga, aim, ain, ais, ama, ami, amp, ana, ani, asp, gam, gan, gap, gas, gin, gip, imp, ins, ism, mag, man, map, mas, mig, mis, nag, nam, nap, nim, nip, pam, pan, pas, pia, pig, pin, pis, psi, sag, sap, sim, sin, sip, spa. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-a-g-i-m-n-p-s" | |
+1 letter: campaigns, paganisms. | |
+2 letters: champaigns, mapmakings, ptarmigans. | |
+3 letters: campaigners, managership, misadapting, pacemakings, playmakings, spermagonia. | |
+4 letters: gamesmanship, imparadising, managerships, meatpackings, mispackaging, papermakings, peacemakings, phrasemaking, platemakings. | |
+5 letters: campanologies, campanologist, disparagement, gamesmanships, grantsmanship, mastigophoran, megasporangia, paramagnetism, phrasemakings, spermatogonia. | |
| 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. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)50 61 67 61 6E 69 73 6D |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
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| American Sign Language (origins from 1620-1817 in Italy and, especially, France) (references)
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| Semaphore (1791, in France) (references)
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| Braille (1829, in France) (references)
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Morse Code (1836) (references).--. .- --. .- -. .. ... -- |
| Dancing Men (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903) (references)
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Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)01010000 01100001 01100111 01100001 01101110 01101001 01110011 01101101 |
HTML Code (1990) (references)P a g a n i s m |
ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)0050 0061 0067 0061 006E 0069 0073 006D |
| British Sign Language (Fingerspelling, BSL; 1992, British Deaf Association Dictionary of British Sign Language) (references)
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Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)5067736780758579 |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Quotations: Familiar 6. Usage Frequency 7. Expressions 8. Expressions: Internet | 9. Translations: Modern 10. Translations: Ancient 11. Derivations 12. Rhymes | 13. Anagrams 14. Orthography 15. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
