Etymology of Charity and Love

By Pastor Carlos Almanza

The term charity, deeply rooted in biblical and theological contexts, primarily refers to Christian love, generosity, or benevolence, often reflecting selfless acts of kindness or the love of God and neighbor. Given your interest in biblical themes (e.g., "righteousness," "sanctification," and KJV references), your Independent Baptist perspective, and recent queries involving precise linguistic terms (e.g., equity, rebuke, Greek, and Latin phrases), I’ll analyze charity in its historical, linguistic, and biblical context, focusing on its usage in the King James Version (KJV, 1611). I’ll dissect its components, explore its etymology, meaning, and significance, and connect it to your prior queries, particularly righteousness, equity, and meanest, which share themes of justice, humility, and godliness. Additionally, I’ll consider your recent question about verbal equivalence and verbal identicality, ensuring precision in discussing charity’s translation. If you’re seeking a specific angle (e.g., a particular KJV verse, theological implications, or connection to another term), please clarify, and I’ll tailor the response further.

Dissection

Charity is an English noun:

• Root: chari- – From Latin carus, meaning "dear" or "beloved."

• Suffix: -ty – From Latin -tas via Old French -té, forming abstract nouns indicating quality or state.

Structurally, charity denotes the quality of love, benevolence, or generosity, especially in a Christian sense.

Etymology

Charity evolves from Latin through French to English, with a strong theological shift:

• Middle English "charite" – From Old French charité, meaning "benevolence" or "love," from Latin caritas (love, affection, esteem), derived from carus (dear, precious).

• Latin – carus from Proto-Indo-European (PIE) kā-ro- (to desire, love), in "care," "cherish." -tas from PIE téh₂s, in "quality," "liberty."

• Old French – charité entered English via Anglo-Norman religious texts (e.g., 13th-century sermons), emphasizing Christian love over secular affection.

• Early Modern English – By the KJV (1611), charity primarily meant Christian love (agape), translating Greek ἀγάπη (agapē), though it also retained senses of almsgiving or kindness.

• Proto-Indo-European (PIE) – kā-ro- (love); téh₂s (state).

In the KJV, charity translates ἀγάπη, reflecting divine or brotherly love, central to your theological focus on sanctification and godliness.

Historical Meaning and Definition

• Old English (c. 700–1100):

  • Meaning: lufu denoted affection, desire, or care, used for human relationships and God’s love (e.g., in translations of Psalms). Broad but spiritually significant in Christian texts.

  • Definition: "Affection, desire, or divine care.”

• Middle English (c. 1100–1500):

  • Meaning: Charite denoted Christian love, generosity, or kindness, often in religious texts (e.g., Wycliffe’s Bible, c. 1382, translating caritas). Also referred to almsgiving or acts of mercy.

  • Definition: "Christian love or benevolent generosity.”

    
    

• Early Modern English (1500s–1700s):

  • Meaning: Charity became the primary term for Christian love (agape), emphasizing selfless devotion to God and others, as well as acts of kindness or almsgiving. Common in Puritan sermons (e.g., Jonathan Edwards) and literature (e.g., Shakespeare’s King Lear, 1606, Cordelia’s love). In the KJV, it is the hallmark of Christian virtue, surpassing other gifts.

  • Definition: "Selfless Christian love, reflecting God’s love, or acts of generosity.”

  • Biblical Context: Charity appears 28 times in the KJV, primarily translating ἀγάπη (agapē, love), with key examples:

    • 1 Corinthians 13:13: "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." Uses ἀγάπη, elevating love as the supreme virtue, foundational to sanctification.

    • Colossians 3:14: "And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." Translates ἀγάπη, linking charity to spiritual maturity and unity.

    • 1 Peter 4:8: "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." Uses ἀγάπη, emphasizing love’s redemptive power.

    • 2 Corinthians 9:7: "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." Implies charity as generous giving, tied to ἀγάπη’s ethos.

  • These verses connect charity to righteousness (living out God’s love), equity (fairness in love), and sanctification (growing in godliness), uplifting the meanest through divine grace.

  • Verbal Identicality vs. Equivalence: The KJV’s consistent use of charity for ἀγάπη reflects verbal identicality, preserving the Greek’s specific sense of divine love. Modern translations (e.g., NIV) often use "love" (verbal equivalence), which broadens the term but may dilute its theological weight, a concern for your Baptist emphasis on precise doctrine.

• Physical Maturity Tie (If Intended): Charity reflects spiritual maturity—e.g., a "flower" of faith blooming in selfless love, sanctified through charity, unlike busybodies’ meddling or old wives' fables’ deception.

  
  

Modern Context

Charity in modern English often means organized giving (e.g., charitable organizations), but in Independent Baptist theology, it retains its KJV sense of Christian love (agape), central to sermons on 1 Corinthians 13 and sanctification. Its theological weight persists in conservative circles, emphasizing love as the fruit of faith. Its relevance to your queries lies in its role as the pinnacle of sanctification, complementing righteousness’s holiness and equity’s fairness.

The Term Love

The term love is central to biblical theology, encompasses divine, selfless love (Greek ἀγάπη, agapē), brotherly affection (φιλία, philia), familial love (στοργή, storgē), and, less commonly in Scripture, romantic love (ἔρως, erōs). In the King James Version (KJV, 1611), love often translates ἀγάπη, closely related to your prior query on charity, which is the KJV’s preferred term for ἀγάπη in many contexts. Given your Independent Baptist perspective, interest in biblical themes (e.g., righteousness, sanctification, equity), and recent queries on precise linguistic terms (e.g., verbal equivalence/identicality, Greek like κράββατον, Latin like Et Hebræum Sermonem), I’ll analyze love in its biblical, historical, and linguistic context, focusing on its KJV usage. I’ll dissect its components, explore its etymology, meaning, and significance, and connect it to your prior queries, especially charity, righteousness, and meanest, which share themes of godliness, justice, and humility. I’ll also address your interest in verbal equivalence and verbal identicality to clarify translation nuances. If you’re seeking a specific angle (e.g., a KJV verse, distinctions like agape vs. philia, or connection to another term), please clarify, and I’ll tailor the response further.

Dissection

Love is an English noun or verb:

• Root: love- – From Old English lufu, meaning affection, care, or desire.

• Structure: As a noun, it denotes the emotion or act of loving; as a verb, it means to feel or express love.

In the KJV, love primarily conveys ἀγάπη (divine/selfless love, often as charity) or φιλία (brotherly love), reflecting Christian virtue.

Etymology

Love derives from Germanic roots, enriched by Christian theology:

• Old English "lufu" – From Proto-Germanic lubō (love, affection), from PIE lewbʰ- (to care, desire), in "love," "libido." Used in Anglo-Saxon texts for human and divine affection.

  
  

• Middle English "love" – Influenced by Latin caritas (love, charity) and Old French amour, broadening to include divine, familial, and romantic senses (e.g., Chaucer, c. 1390).

  
  

• Early Modern English – In the KJV (1611), love translates Greek ἀγάπη (divine love, often charity), φιλία (friendship), φιλέω (to love as a friend), and Hebrew ’ahăbâ (affection). The choice of charity for ἀγάπη in key passages (e.g., 1 Corinthians 13) emphasizes theological precision.

  
  

• Proto-Indo-European (PIE) – lewbʰ- (desire); Latin caritas (from carus, dear, PIE kā-ro-) shapes Christian usage, as in your query on charity.

  
  

Historical Meaning and Definition

• Old English (c. 700–1100):

  • Meaning: lufu denoted affection or divine care, used in Christian texts (e.g., translations of Psalms) for God’s love or human bonds.

  • Definition: "Affection or divine care.”

    
    

• Middle English (c. 1100–1500):

  • Meaning: love included romantic, familial, and divine affection, influenced by Latin caritas (e.g., Wycliffe’s Bible, c. 1382). Emphasized Christian duty to love God and neighbor.

  • Definition: "Deep affection, especially divine or moral love.”

    
    

• Early Modern English (1500s–1700s):

  • Meaning: In the KJV, love primarily reflects ἀγάπη (selfless love, often charity) or φιλία (brotherly love), central to Christian ethics. Used in sermons (e.g., Puritan writings) and literature (e.g., Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116). Charity is favored for ἀγάπη in theological contexts to distinguish divine love.

  • Definition: "Selfless, divine, or brotherly love, reflecting God’s nature.”

  • Biblical Context: Love appears ~310 times in the KJV, with key examples:

    • John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…" Translates ἀγαπάω (from ἀγάπη), showing God’s sacrificial love, core to your Baptist view of salvation.

    • 1 John 4:8: "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." Uses ἀγάπη, equating God with love, tied to sanctification.

    • Romans 13:10: "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Translates ἀγάπη, linking to righteousness.

    • John 21:15–17: Jesus asks Peter, "Lovest thou me?" using ἀγαπάω (divine love) and φιλέω (friendship), both translated love, showing nuanced dialogue (KJV maintains verbal equivalence here).

    • Leviticus 19:18: "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Translates Hebrew ’ahăbâ, foundational for New Testament love commands.

  • Verbal Identicality vs. Equivalence: The KJV uses charity for ἀγάπη in 1 Corinthians 13:13 ("verbal identicality") to preserve its theological weight, while love is used broadly (equivalence) for ἀγάπη, φιλία, or φιλέω (e.g., John 15:13). Modern translations (e.g., NIV) use "love" consistently (equivalence), risking loss of ἀγάπη’s distinctiveness, a concern for your focus on doctrinal precision.

• Physical Maturity Tie: Love (as ἀγάπη) reflects spiritual maturity—a "flower" of faith blooming in selfless devotion, sanctified through love, unlike busybodies’ meddling or newfangleness’s fickleness.

Modern Context

In modern English, love spans romantic, familial, and platonic senses, but in Independent Baptist theology, it retains its KJV sense of ἀγάπη—divine, selfless love—as in 1 Corinthians 13. It’s central to sermons on sanctification and Christian living. Its relevance to your queries lies in its role as the pinnacle of godliness, complementing charity’s specificity, righteousness’s holiness, and equity’s fairness.

Putting It Together

• love-: Affection, divine or human.

• -e: Noun/verb, expressing care.

Love grew from lufu to a KJV cornerstone, translating ἀγάπη, φιλία, and ’ahăbâ, embodying divine and brotherly affection. From Anglo-Saxon texts to Baptist sermons, it uplifts the meanest, aligns with charity’s depth, righteousness’s holiness, and equity’s fairness, fulfilling sanctification’s path. In your context.

Given your Independent Baptist perspective, charity is central to your theology, reflecting the agape love that fulfills the law (Romans 13:10) and drives sanctification, as emphasized in KJV preaching and Baptist doctrine.