decalogue

the word decalogue is a direct borrowing from late latin 'decalogus', which itself originates from greek 'dekalogos', a compound of 'deka' (ten) and 'logos' (word). the term was used in the septuagint, the ancient greek translation of the hebrew scriptures, to translate the phrase "the ten words," referring to the commandments delivered by god to moses. this etymological path highlights how the greek concept of a foundational discourse or set of statements was specifically applied to enumerate a core religious and moral code. thus, the literal "ten speeches" evolved into the proper noun for the biblical ten commandments.