Is "Kyrie Eleison" in Greek?

[Philip]

Friends,

I was wondering if the word of the Kyrie were Greek rather than Latin. Does anyone know what language they are and why they are that way? Thanks!

Philip

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Philip
Yes, Kyrie eleison is Greek. Kyrie eleison–Lord, have mercy. Christe eleison–Christ, have mercy.
From the Catholic Encyclopedia

Kyrie Eleison (Greek for “Lord have mercy”; the Latin transliteration supposes a pronunciation as in Modern Greek) is a very old, even pre-Christian, expression used constantly in all Christian liturgies. Arrian quotes it in the second century: “Invoking God we say Kyrie Eleison” (Diatribæ Epicteti, II, 7). A more obvious precedent for Christian use was the occurrence of the same formula in the Old Testament (Psalm 4:2, 6:3, 9:14, 25:11, 121:3; Isaias 33:2; Tobit 8:10; etc., in the Septuagint). In these places it seems already to be a quasi-liturgical exclamation. So also in the New Testament the form occurs repeatedly (Matthew 9:27, 20:30, 15:22; Mark 10:47; Luke 16:24, 17:13). The only difference is that all these cases have an accusative after the verb: Kyrie eleison me, or eleison hemas. The liturgical forumula is shortened from this.

HISTORY

It is not mentioned by the Apostolic Fathers or the Apologists. The first certain example of its use in the liturgy is in that of the eighth book of the “Apostolic Constitutions”. Here it is the answer of the people to the various Synaptai (Litanies) chanted by the deacon (Brightman, “Eastern Liturgies”, pp. 4 and 5; cf. “Ap. Const.”, VIII, vi, 4). That is still its normal use in the Eastern rites. The deacon sings various clauses ofa litany, to each of which the people answer, Kyrie Eleison. Of the Greek Fathers of the fourth century, Eusebius, Athanasius, Basil, Cyril of Jerusalem, and the two Gregories [of Nazianzus and Nyssa] do not mention it. But it occurs often in St. John Chrysostom. Its introduction into the Roman Mass has been much discussed. It is certain that the liturgy at the Rome was at one time said in Greek (to the end of the second century apparently). It is tempting to look upon our Kyrie Eleison as a surviving fragment from that time. Such, however, does not seem to be the case. Rather the form was borrowed from the East and introduced into the Latin Mass later. The older Latin Fathers, Tertullian, Cyprian, etc., do not mention it. Etheria (Silvia) heard it sung at Jerusalem in the fourth century. It is evidently a strange form to her, and she translates it: “As the deacon says the names of various people (the Intercession) a number of boys stand and answer always, Kyrie Eleison, as we should say, Miserere Domine” …

 

[larryo]

*Kyrie eleison. *Is Greek and means “Lord, have mercy.” Originally, the Mass was celebrated in Greek, just as the entire New Testament was written in Greek. In the time of the early Church, Greek was the lingua franca of the Roman Empire. Later in the West, Latin supplanted Greek as the liturgical language. For the western empire, Latin was the vernacular and it continued to be used as the language of liturgy and scholarship all through the Middle Ages, even though the different nation states developed their own languages. The eastern empire continued to use Greek as it always had.

 

[J.R]

Philip,
I know some of our brethren have already answered your question but let me share a humorous story about the Kyrie and the The Second Vatican Council. This was told to our Religous Studies class that our Diocese gives by a priest. The story is that during the discussion of the council on “The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium” they were discussing about letting the Mass being said in the venacular as well as Latin. When one of the the Bishops stood up, protested, and pleaded that the Council at least keep the latin Kyrie in the Mass. Upon hearing that the entire council broke out in laughter since they all knew that the Kyrie Eleison is greek and not latin as you know now.

God Bless