euangelion vs. dysangelion, or for the purist, εὐαγγέλιον versus δυσαγγέλιον (not sure if the accents are coming through correctly; they look almost like breathing marks to me).
In Greek there are frequently prefixes that are applied to a word to change its meaning. For example, the prefix εὐ (EU) makes a word mean good. So, since αγγέλιον (angelion) means an announcement, εὐαγγέλιον means a good announcement, or as we would say more idiomatically, good news. On the other hand, there is a prefix that makes things negative: δυς (DYS). We see this in English with words like dysfunctional—the negation of functional, i.e., it doesn't work correctly. So, δυσαγγέλιον means a bad pronouncement, or better, bad news.
So, what am I getting at? Well, much of what passes for gospel these days seems to be more δυσαγγέλιον than εὐαγγέλιον.
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