Lexicographical Studies Based on Euthymius the Athonite’s Translations of Gregory of Nazianzus’s 30th and 31st Orations and Gregory of Nyssa's The Life of Moses

Abstract

The present paper is an attempt to analyze the development of the Georgian theological terminology at its early-stage based on Euthymius the Athonite’s translations of two works pertaining to two different genres. Notably, our research will focus on the analysis of the interrelation between Greek Gnoseological terms and Euthymius’s corresponding versions based on Gregory of Nazianzus’s dogmatic writings – 30th and 31st Orations – and Gregory of Nyssa’s exegetical work entitled The Life of Moses. A comprehensive study of a particular translation involves an assessment of the original version in terms of the concepts and world-view it conveys, on the one hand, and a textual and philological analysis of the translated version, on the other, lexicological studies constituting one of the most important aspects of the latter. The early-stage translation of the above works into Georgian provides interesting material for observing the formation of the Georgian theological terminology as well as understanding the polysemy of relevant Greek terms.