Dictionary

apocrypha en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /əˈpɒk.ɹə.fə/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English apocrypha, apocrifa, apocrif, from Late Latin apocryphus (“secret, not approved for public reading”), from Ancient Greek ἀπόκρυφος (apókruphos, “hidden, obscure”, thus “(books) of unknown authorship”), from ἀπό (apó, “from”) + κρύπτω (krúptō, “to hide”). Properly plural (the singular would be apocryphon), but commonly treated as a collective singular. “Apocryphal” meaning “of doubtful authenticity” is first attested in English in 1590.

Meanings

1. (form-of, plural) plural of apocryphon
   form of apocryphon
2. (uncountable, usually) Something, as a writing, that is of doubtful authorship or authority (formerly also used attributively).
   • Our entymological^([sic – meaning etymological]) approaches to the I or Change in the I Ching seem to confirm one of the well known apocryphas, I-Wei Ch'ien tso-tu. 1975, Jung Young Lee, The I Ching and Modern Man: Essays on Metaphysical Implications of Change, Secaucus, NJ: University Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 24:
   • The story of the Arsenal mural has drifted, over the years, into something more closely resembling a myth. What should be straightforward details are now shrouded in fog, tangled by apocrypha. 2020 June 8, Rory Smith, “The Shirts Were Red. The Fans Were All White.”, in New York Times, archived from the original on 08 Jun 2020:
   • Parts of the city were unearthed and we could clearly see an almost square citadel with massive walls and a deep moat, beyond which were the outer residential quarters, shopping centre, etc. This made me think of an apocrypha of the Bogomil teaching: 'I, the prophet Isaiah, blessed among the prophets by our Lord God Jesus Christ, have come by the Will of God to tell you what will happen in the last days of the human race...' He was talking of an uncertain future, while here before us we had a tale of realities of the past. 1976, Bogomil Nonev, translated by Petko Drenkov, A Journey Through the Ages, Sofia Press, →OCLC, →OL, page 41:
   • We are the women with thread bags anchored deep in our bosoms containing blood agreements silver coins and cloves of garlic and an apocrypha of Nanny’s secrets. 1993, Lorna Goodison, “We Are the Women”, in Maura Healy, editor, Quartet of Poems, Longman, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 92:
   • But it may be objected, that these books being in the Jews' canon , ought to be acknowledged for divinely inspired , rather than the apocryphas that never were in it a. 1704, John Locke, An Essay for the Understanding of St. Paul's Epistles:

Forms

Relateds

apocryphalness · apocryphalist · Eucryphia · Cryphaeaceae · apocryphal · apocryphally · Eocryphops

Translations (22)

ja 外典 (writing of a doubtful authorship) · pl apokryf (writing of a doubtful authorship) · id buku diragukan (writing of a doubtful authorship) · cmn 偽經 /伪经 (writing of a doubtful authorship) · ja アポクリファ (writing of a doubtful authorship) · pt apócrifo (writing of a doubtful authorship) · sh апо̀криф (writing of a doubtful authorship) · cmn 旁經 /旁经 (writing of a doubtful authorship) · ca apòcrif (writing of a doubtful authorship) · sh apòkrif (writing of a doubtful authorship) · ka აპოკრიფი (writing of a doubtful authorship) · uk апо́криф (writing of a doubtful authorship) · de Apokryphe (writing of a doubtful authorship) · cmn 外典 (writing of a doubtful authorship) · fi apokryfi (writing of a doubtful authorship) · bg апокри́ф (writing of a doubtful authorship) · kk апокриф (writing of a doubtful authorship) · es apócrifo (writing of a doubtful authorship) · sv apokryf (writing of a doubtful authorship) · ru апо́криф (writing of a doubtful authorship) · ga apacrafa (writing of a doubtful authorship) · id apokrifa (writing of a doubtful authorship)