OXFORD TRANSITION
This shows a major dictionary publisher that actually asserted that the corruption is “recent”
Agape (Greek: αγαπ… or ηγαπ…)
Eros (Greek Ερως or ερως; ερωτικός [erotic])
First, here’s a 1916 Oxford dictionary:
A Pocket Lexicon to the Greek New Testament, Souter, Oxford, 1916 (reprinted 1917), pp. 2-3:
(“LXX” refers to the Septuagint, which was the Old Testament in Greek that the early Christians predominantly used.)
Agape change:
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The Oxford English Dictionary, 1933:
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The Oxford English Dictionary, 1989:
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“Now used commonly ….” indicates a recent change.
Eros change:
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The Oxford English Dictionary: Supplement and Bibliography, 1933, p. 341:
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A Supplement to the Oxford English Dictionary, Vol. 1, 1972 (basically the same in 1989 edition), p. 970:
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“Also, in recent Christian writings ....” indicates a recent change.
Today, of course, they have reached a conclusion:
The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 1974, p. 23, “AGAPE”:
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 1977, p. 9, “AGAPE”:
The Oxford American Dictionary and Language Guide, 1999, p. 18, “agape2”:
