stiff-necked

Meaning

  1. (literally) Having a stiff neck; suffering from torticollis
  2. (figuratively) Stubborn and arrogant.

Etymology

In summary

From stiff + neck + -ed. (figurative): Calque of Hebrew קשה ערף (Exodus 33). A biblical term similar to Swedish styvnackad, Ancient Greek σκληροτράχηλος (sklērotrákhēlos), Russian жестоковыйный (žestokovyjnyj), German halsstarrig etc.

Notes

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