Early 18th century; earliest use found in Ephraim Chambers (?1680–1740), encyclopaedist. From post-classical Latin octapla or its etymon Byzantine Greek ὀκταπλᾶ a text of the Old Testament consisting of eight versions in parallel columns, use as noun of neuter plural of Hellenistic Greek ὀκταπλοῦς eight-fold (from ὀκτα- + -πλόος, -πλοῦς -fold: see -fold), after ἑξαπλᾶ hexapla.