λίαν G3029
very, exceedingly, greatly — intensive adverb amplifying the degree of an action or quality
Lian is a straightforward intensive adverb meaning 'very' or 'exceedingly,' used 12 times in the New Testament to amplify verbs and adjectives. It often colors scenes with heightened emotion: Herod is lian troubled at news of the newborn king (Matt 2:16), the demoniacs are lian fierce (Matt 8:28), and Pilate is lian astonished at Jesus's silence (Matt 27:14). Mark uses it to emphasize the earliness of the resurrection morning — lian proi, 'very early' (Mark 16:2). The translations are unanimously scalar intensifiers: Spanish 'muy/mucho,' French 'beaucoup/tres,' German 'sehr' — each functioning as a simple degree modifier with no nuance lost.
Senses
1. sense 1 — An intensive adverb that heightens the degree of an accompanying verb, adjective, or other adverb, translatable as 'very,' 'exceedingly,' or 'greatly.' Modifies emotional states (Matt 2:16, Herod 'exceedingly' enraged; Matt 27:14, Pilate 'greatly' amazed), physical qualities (Matt 4:8, an 'exceedingly' high mountain; Matt 8:28, 'extremely' fierce), and temporal markers (Mark 1:35, 'very' early; Mark 16:2, 'very' early at dawn). Spanish 'muy,' French 'beaucoup,' and German 'sehr' all converge on scalar intensification. All 12 occurrences express this single degree-amplifying function. 12×
AR["جِدًّا", "جِدّاً"]·ben["অতিশয়", "অতিশয়,", "অত্যন্ত", "খুব,"]·DE["sehr"]·EN["exceedingly", "greatly", "very"]·FR["beaucoup"]·heb["מְאֹד"]·HI["अत्यन्त", "बहुत", "बहुत,", "रात-ही-रात"]·ID["benar,", "sangat", "sangat,"]·IT["grandemente"]·jav["banget,", "sanget", "sanget,", "sanget."]·KO["매우", "심히", "아주", "크게"]·PT["grandemente", "grandemente,", "muito", "muito,"]·RU["весьма", "очень"]·ES["grandemente", "mucho", "muy"]·SW["mapema-sana", "sana", "sana,"]·TR["son-derece", "çok", "çok,"]·urd["بہت", "بہت،", "بہُت"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
λίαν [see. near the end], Ionic dialect and Epic dialect λίην, adverb very, exceedingly, in Refs 8th c.BC+ with an adverb, λ. ἑκάς Refs 8th c.BC+: with an adjective, λ. μέγα εἶπες Refs: alone with a Verb, very much, overmuch, κεχολώατο λ. Refs 8th c.BC+; οὔ τι λ. ποθὴ ἔσσεται not exceedingly,Refs 8th c.BC+, which always begins the sentence or verse, surely, aye surely, καὶ λ. κεῖνός γε ἐοικότι…