“Translating Bread:” Notions of Etymology and Theory of Meaning in the Latin-Greek Controversy on the Azymes

Between the 11th and 12th centuries, several Byzantine theologians used etymology to defend the use of leavened bread (ἄρτος) in the Eucharist. Rooted in Platonic and Neoplatonic traditions, their argument held that the word ἄρτος inherently implied leavening, making its use theologically justified. This view also influenced translation practices: the Greeks insisted that ἄρτος could not be rendered as panis azymus, since its meaning presupposed fermentation—a point echoed by Peter Abelard (ἄρτος means panis fermentatus). While etymology often served as a path to divine truth in the Latin Middle Ages, Latin theologians rejected this argument in the controversy on the azymes. This contrast reflects a broader divergence in Greek and Latin linguistic sensibilities, revealing how differing approaches to language reinforced doctrinal divisions.