phylacter
English
Etymology
Borrowed from French phylactère,[1] from Middle French filatiere, philaterie, philatiere, and Old French filatiere, philatiere (“amulet; reliquary; tefilla”), from Late Latin phylacterium (“amulet; reliquary; tefilla”), from Koine Greek φῠλᾰκτήρῐον (phŭlăktḗrĭon, “amulet; tefilla”) (used in the New Testament to translate Hebrew תפילין (“tefillin”)), from Ancient Greek φῠλᾰκτήρῐον (phŭlăktḗrĭon, “fortified outpost, watchman’s post; protection, safeguard”), from φυλακτήρ (phulaktḗr, “guard, watcher”) + -ῐον (-ĭon, suffix forming nouns). Φυλακτήρ (Phulaktḗr) is derived from φυλακ- (phulak-) (the stem of φῠλᾰ́σσω (phŭlắssō, “to guard, watch; to defend, protect”)) + -τήρ (-tḗr, suffix forming masculine agent nouns); and φῠλᾰ́σσω (phŭlắssō) from φῠ́λᾰξ (phŭ́lăx, “guard, sentry”), probably Pre-Greek.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /fɪˈlæktə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /fəˈlæktəɹ/
- Rhymes: -æktə(ɹ)
- Hyphenation: phy‧lac‧ter
Noun
phylacter (plural phylacters)
- (obsolete) Synonym of phylactery.
- 1636, George Sandys, Christ's Passion (Annotations)
- Men full of appearing sanctity , observant to traditions , and skilful expositors of the Mosaical Law , wearing the precepts thereof in phylacters (narrow scrolls of parchment) bound about their brows and above their left elbows
- 1636, George Sandys, Christ's Passion (Annotations)
Derived terms
References
- ^ “phylacter, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023.
Further reading
- “phylacter”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
Welsh
Alternative forms
- phylacteri, (preferred spelling of Geiriadur yr Academi) ffylacter
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Late Latin phylactērium (“phylactery”), from Ancient Greek φῠλᾰκτήρῐον (phŭlăktḗrĭon, “amulet”).
Noun
phylacter f (plural phylacterau, not mutable)
- (rare, Judaism, chiefly in the plural) phylactery
References
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “phylacterau”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies