Philistine

Meaning

Noun

1. (historical) A non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia, a region in the southwest Levant in the Middle East.
2. (figuratively, plural-normally) An opponent (of the speaker, writer, etc); an enemy, a foe.
3. (historical) In German universities: a person not associated with the university; a non-academic or non-student; a townsperson.
4. (alt-of) Alternative letter-case form of philistine (“a person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of or is antagonistic towards art or culture, and who has pedestrian tastes”).

Adj

1. (historical) Originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines.
2. (alt-of) Alternative letter-case form of philistine (“ignorant or uneducated; specifically, lacking appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture, and having pedestrian tastes”).

Synonyms

philistine

curmudgeonly

hypocrite

awkward

snippy

tactless

lubberly

Translations

Filistijn

filisteu

Philister

filisteo

Spießbürger

filisteu

Spießer

filisteo

Kunstbanause

Filistijns

philistin

Philistin

Philisterin

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈfɪlɪstaɪn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: Philistyne

Inherited from Old English: Filistina

Cognate with French: Philistin

Cognate with Akkadian: 𒆳𒉿𒇺𒋫

Inherited from Middle English: Philistiim

In summary

The noun is derived from Middle English Philistyne, Philisten [and other forms], from Old English Filistina (genitive plural), from Old French Philistin (modern French Philistin) and Late Latin Philistinus, from Koine Greek Φυλιστῖνοι (Phulistînoi), a variant of Φυλιστιίμ (Phulistiím), Φυλιστιείμ (Phulistieím) (compare Koine Greek Παλαιστῖνοι (Palaistînoi)), from Hebrew פְּלִשְׁתִּים (p'lishtím, plural noun), from פְּלִשְׁתִּי (p'lishtí, “Philistine”, adjective), from פְּלֶשֶׁת (p'léshet, “Philistia”). An Anatolian origin should be considered, compare Hittite 𒁄𒄭𒅖 (pal-ḫi-iš /⁠palḫis⁠/, “wide, broad”), nominalized as lowland, plain + 𒊭𒀀𒆠𒄑𒍣 (ša-a-ki-ez-zi /⁠šākizzi⁠/, “seeks out”), nominalized as explorer, colonist, which would yield something like palḫis-sak or palḫis-sku.
In light of the Philistines’ likely Aegean origins, several scholars have proposed Greek etymologies for the ethnonym:
* Thomas Schneider proposes that it is derived from an archaic Greek term πλωϝιστοι (plōwistoi, “sailors,seafarers”) (cf. Mycenaean Greek 𐀡𐀫𐀹𐀵 (po-ro-wi-to /⁠plōwistos⁠/)).
* Jan Driessen connects the Philistines with the people of the settlement of Pyla, yielding the term Πυλαϝαστοι (Pulawastoi, “inhabitants of Pyla”). Furthermore, Driessen suggests a link between the Philistine migration to the Levant and the abandonment of Pyla which occurred within the timespan described in the Medinet Habu reliefs.
The English word is cognate with Akkadian 𒆳𒉿𒇺𒋫 (ᴷᵁᴿpi-lis-ta, “Pilistu”), 𒆳𒉺𒆷𒊍𒌓 (ᴷᵁᴿpa-la-as-tu₂ /⁠Palastu⁠/), 𒆳𒉿𒇺𒋫𒀀𒀀 (ᴷᵁᴿpi-liš-ta-a-a /⁠Pilištayu⁠/, “(people) of the Pilištu lands”), and is a doublet of Palestine.
The archaic noun plural form Philistim is from Middle English Philistiim [and other forms], from Late Latin Philisthiim, from Koine Greek Φυλιστιίμ (Phulistiím), Φυλιστιείμ (Phulistieím); see further above.
The adjective is derived from the noun. For the etymology of the "ignorant person" sense, see philistine.