crown of thorns

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromἀκάνθινος στέφανος
2. Latin · calque ofspinea corona
3. English todaycrown of thorns

Calque of Latin spinea corona, itself a calque of Hellenistic Ancient Greek ἀκάνθινος στέφανος (akánthinos stéphanos).

First known use, by meaning

• from 10th c. The crown made of a thorny plant that Christ was forced to wear before his Crucifixion, in mocking reference to his alleged status as ‘king of the Jews’, or a representation of this.
• from 19th c. A spiny Mediterranean tree, Ziziphus spina-christi.
• from 19th c. A spiny spurge, Euphorbia milii, native to Madagascar.
• from 20th c. Ellipsis of crown-of-thorns starfish