Agnus Dei

See also: agnus dei and agnus Dei

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Agnus Deī (“Lamb of God”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌæɡnəs ˈdeɪ.i/, /ˌɑːnjus ˈdeɪ.i/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

Agnus Dei (plural Agnus Deis or Agnus Dei)

1. (Western Christianity) A liturgical chant recited as part of the Mass, beginning with those words, or the music to which it is set. [from 10th c.]
2. (Roman Catholicism, heraldry) A small model, picture, or heraldic representation of a lamb with a cross and sometimes a flag (usually white with a red cross).
3. (Roman Catholicism) A bar of wax imprinted with a similar shape and blessed by the Pope. [from 16th c.]
   • 1796, Matthew Lewis, The Monk, Folio Society, published 1985, page 194:

     Matilda continued her incantations; at intervals she took various items from the basket, the nature and name of most of which were unknown to the friar: but among the few which he distinguished, he particularly observed three human fingers, and an agnus dei, which she broke in pieces.

   • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 28:

     The most common of these amulets was the agnus dei, a small wax cake, originally made out of paschal candles and blessed by the Pope, bearing the image of the lamb and flag.

Translations

part of the Mass; music to which it is set

• Catalan: agnus-dei (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 天主羔羊 (Tiānzhǔ Gāoyáng)

• Danish: agnus dei
• Finnish: Jumalan Karitsa
• Galician: año de Deus
• Portuguese: agnus dei m
• Russian: а́гнец бо́жий m (ágnec bóžij) (sometimes capitalised)
• Tagalog: Kordero ng Diyos

model or picture of a lamb with a cross

• Catalan: agnus-dei (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 上帝羔羊 (Shàngdì Gāoyáng)

• Danish: gudslam
• Finnish: Jumalan Karitsa
• Galician: año de Deus
• Greek: ο αμνός του Θεού m (o amnós tou Theoú)
• Russian: а́гнец бо́жий m (ágnec bóžij) (sometimes capitalised)
• Spanish: Cordero de Dios (es)
• Swedish: Agnus Dei, gudslamm n

See also

• Lamb of God

Anagrams

• agnuside, guanides

Latin

Etymology

Calque of Ancient Greek Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ (Amnòs toû Theoû). The name refers to Jesus' role as a sacrificial lamb that is (voluntarily) slaughtered on the Cross.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈaɡ.nus ˈde.iː/, [ˈäŋnʊs̠ ˈd̪eiː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈaɲ.ɲus ˈde.i/, [ˈäɲːus ˈd̪ɛːi]

Noun

Agnus Deī m sg (genitive Agnī Deī); second declension (Christianity, Ecclesiastical Latin)

1. Literally, “Lamb of God”, a title applied by Christians to Jesus, whose death they equate with the offering of such animals for sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem by those who have sinned, as described in the Hebrew scriptures.

   Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi...

   Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world...

2. prayer in the Mass, and musical composition of that prayer, which begins with the words "Agnus Dei...."

Declension

Second-declension noun with an indeclinable portion, singular only.

Case	Singular
Nominative	Agnus Deī
Genitive	Agnī Deī
Dative	Agnō Deī
Accusative	Agnum Deī
Ablative	Agnō Deī
Vocative	Agne Deī

Note: The vocative is normally Agnus Dei.

Descendants

• English: Agnus Dei
• Portuguese: Agnus Dei, agnus dei, Cordeiro de Deus (calque)