blasphemy
UK[ˈblæsfəmi]US[ˈblæsfəmi]
n
The act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God or sacred things.
n
The act of claiming the attributes of a deity; irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable.
Morpheme Breakdown
blasphem
y
blasphem
evil-speaking
y
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'blasphemy' originates from the Greek blasphēmia, a compound of blaptein, meaning 'to injure' or 'to hinder', and phēmē, meaning 'speech' or 'utterance'. This literal sense of 'injurious speech' was specifically applied in religious contexts to denote profane or impious speech against the divine. Entering English via Latin blasphemia and Old French blasfemie, the term's meaning narrowed to focus exclusively on speech or action that shows contempt for God or sacred principles, retaining its core association with verbal transgression against the holy.
Analysis
Structure: blasphem (evil-speaking) + y (noun suffix)
blasphem (from Greek blasphēmos, meaning 'evil-speaking', from blaptein 'to injure' + phēmē 'utterance'); y (a noun-forming suffix of Greek origin via Latin and French, indicating state or quality).
Examples
The writer was accused of blasphemy for his controversial depiction of a religious figure.
In some cultures, destroying a national flag is considered an act of blasphemy.
His statements were deemed blasphemy by the council of elders.