amen

amen
/ay"men", ah"men"/, interj.
1. it is so; so be it (used after a prayer, creed, or other formal statement to express solemn ratification or agreement).
adv.
2. verily; truly.
n.
3. an utterance of the interjection "amen."
4. a musical setting for such an utterance.
5. an expression of concurrence or assent: The committee gave its amen to the proposal.
[bef. 1000; ME, OE < LL < Gk < Heb amen certainty, certainly]

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Expression of agreement or confirmation used in worship by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

The word derives from a Semitic root meaning "fixed" or "sure." The Greek Old Testament usually translates it as "so be it"; in the English Bible it is often translated as "verily" or "truly." By the 4th century BC, it was a common response to a doxology or other prayer in the Jewish temple liturgy. By the 2nd century AD, Christians had adopted it in the liturgy of the Eucharist, and in Christian worship a final amen now often sums up and confirms a prayer or hymn. Though less common in Islam, it is used after reading of the first sura.

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prayer
      expression of agreement, confirmation, or desire used in worship by Jews (Judaism), Christians (Christianity), and Muslims (Islām). The basic meaning of the Semitic root from which it is derived is “firm,” “fixed,” or “sure,” and the related Hebrew verb also means “to be reliable” and “to be trusted.” The Greek Old Testament usually translates amen as “so be it”; in the English Bible it has frequently been rendered as “verily,” or “truly.”

      In its earliest use in the Bible, the amen occurred initially and referred back to the words of another speaker with whom there was agreement. It usually introduced an affirmative statement. For emphasis, as in solemn oaths, the amen was sometimes repeated. The use of the initial amen, single or double in form, to introduce solemn statements of Jesus in the Gospels (52 times in the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—and 25 times in the Gospel According to John) had no parallel in Jewish practice. Such amens expressed the certainty and truthfulness of the statement that followed.

      Use of the amen in Jewish temple liturgy as a response by the people at the close of a doxology or other prayer uttered by a priest seems to have been common as early as the time of the 4th century BC. This Jewish liturgical use of amen was adopted by the Christians. Justin Martyr (2nd century AD) indicated that amen was used in the liturgy of the Eucharist and was later introduced into the baptismal service.

      A final amen, added by a speaker who offered thanksgiving or prayers, public or private, to sum up and confirm what he himself had said, developed naturally from the earlier usage in which others responded with the amen. Use of the final amen is found in the Psalms and is common in the New Testament. Jews used amen to conclude prayers in ancient times, and Christians closed every prayer with it. As hymns became more popular, the use of the final amen was extended.

      Although Muslims make little use of amen, it is stated after every recital of the first sura.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • amen — amen …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • Amen — • One of a small number of Hebrew words which have been imported unchanged into the liturgy of the Church Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Amen     Amen      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • amen — [ amɛn ] interj. et n. m. inv. • XIIe; lat. ecclés., hébr. « oui, ainsi soit il » ♦ Mot par lequel se terminent les prières. « l assistant répond amen » (Chateaubriand). Loc. Dire, répondre amen à tout ce que dit, ce que fait qqn, l approuver… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • AMEN — (Heb. אָמֵן; it is true, so be it, may it become true ), word or formula used as confirmation, endorsement, or expression of hope and wish on hearing a blessing, prayer, curse, or oath. Originally an adjective ( true ; but see Isa. 65:16 for its… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Amen — [ˈaːmɛn] oder [aː meːn] (hebräisch אָמֵן āmén, altgriechisch ἀμήν amēn, arabisch ‏آمين‎, DMG āmīn) ist eine aus dem Alten Testament ins Neue Testament übernommene Akklamationsformel in der Liturgie. Später wurde es auch in den Islam… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Amen — [ a:mən], das; s, : dient als Bekräftigung besonders eines christlichen Gebets, eines Segens, einer Predigt. ☆ zu allem Ja und Amen sagen (ugs.): sich allem fügen, sich mit allem abfinden: sie hat keine eigene Meinung, sie sagt zu allem Ja und… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • amen — [ a:mɛn] <Interjektion>: dient dazu, ein christliches Gebet, einen Segen, eine Predigt o. Ä. abzuschließen und das darin Gesagte zu bekräftigen: in Ewigkeit, amen. * * * Amen 〈n. 14〉 1. Zustimmung der Gemeinde zu Rede, Segen, Gebet usw. 2.… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • amen — amen; amen·or·rhea; amen·tia; amen·ti·form; amen·tum; amen·i·ty; amen·or·rhe·al; amen·or·rhe·ic; amen·or·rhoea; amen·or·rhoe·al; amen·or·rhoe·ic; …   English syllables

  • amen — Ptkl std. stil. (8. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus l. āmēn als Schlußformel des christlichen Gebets, dieses aus gr. amḗn, aus hebr. ʾāmēn, zu hebr. ʾāman stärken, bekräftigen . Ein Wort der Bekräftigung: so soll es sein! .    Ebenso nndl. amen, ne …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • Amen — Amen: Amen  Аминь. Amen (группа)  американская панк/хардкор группа. Amen (альбом)  второй альбом группы Amen (1999). Amen Break  семпл из трека The Winstons «Amen, Brother». Amen  псевдоним гитариста музыкального… …   Википедия

  • Amen — A men (?; 277), interj., adv., & n. [L. amen, Gr. amh n, Heb. [=a]m[=e]n certainly, truly.] An expression used at the end of prayers, and meaning, So be it. At the end of a creed, it is a solemn asseveration of belief. When it introduces a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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