Philistine

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• Received-Pronunciation: /ˈfɪlɪstaɪn/
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• Received-Pronunciation: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• General-American: /ˈfɪlɪˌstaɪn/
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• General-American: /-lə-/
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• General-American: /-stin/
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• General-American: /fɪˈlɪstin/
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• General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -ɪstin
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• CMU ARPABET: F IH1 L AH0 S T IY2 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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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.

The noun is derived from Philistine, influenced by philister, Philister (“(historical) in German universities: person not associated with the university; person who lacks appreciation of or is antagonistic towards art or culture”), from German Philister (“person from ancient Philistia; (figurative, dated) person not associated with a university; (figurative) person who lacks appreciation of or is antagonistic towards art or culture”), from Late Latin Philistaeus, Philisteus (compare Philistinus and see further at Philistine) + German -er (suffix forming nouns indicating an inhabitant of a place, or a person originating from a place). The figurative senses of the German word are often said to have derived from a 1693 sermon by the ecclesiastical superintendent Georg Heinrich Götze (1667–1728) on the passage “Philister über dir, Simson!” (“The Philistines are upon you, Samson!”; Judges 16:9, 12, 14, and 20) at the funeral of a student from the University of Jena in Jena, Thuringia, Germany, who had died as the result of a town and gown dispute (that is, one between the townspeople and university students), but the Oxford English Dictionary notes that the word was already used in Jena in these senses in 1687. The adjective is derived from the noun. The words philister and philistine were introduced into English by the British author Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) and greatly popularized by the English poet and cultural critic Matthew Arnold (1822–1888), particularly in essays first published in The Cornhill Magazine between 1867 and 1868 which were collected into a book entitled Culture and Anarchy (1869).

195 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Catalan: filisteu — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Dutch: Filistijns — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Finnish: filistealainen — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• French: Philistin — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Greek: φιλισταϊκός (filistaïkós) — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Hindi: पलिश्ती (paliśtī) — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Irish: Filistíneach — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Italian: filisteo — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Korean: 블레셋 (beulleset) — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Korean: 필리스티나의 (pilliseutinaui) — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Latin: Philistaeus — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Latin: Philisthaeus — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Latin: Philistiim — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Latin: Philisthiim — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Latin: Philistīnus — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Occitan: Filistèu — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Polish: filistyński — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Russian: филисти́мский (filistímskij) — originating from ancient Philistia; of or pertaining to the ancient Philistines
• Bulgarian: филистер (filister) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Bulgarian: простак (prostak) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Catalan: filisteu — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Chinese Mandarin: 鄙俚 (bǐlǐ) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Chinese Mandarin: 俗人 (súrén) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Chinese Mandarin: 小市民 (xiǎoshìmín) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Chinese Mandarin: 庸俗 (yōngsú) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Czech: barbarský — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Dutch: barbaars — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Finnish: moukkamainen — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• French: philistin — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• French: béotien — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• German: philiströs — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• German: Banause — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• German: Spießer- — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Greek: ακαλλιέργητος (akalliérgitos) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Greek: αμόρφωτος (amórfotos) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Greek: άξεστος (áxestos) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Greek: βάρβαρος (várvaros) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Greek: κάφρος (káfros) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Hungarian: nyárspolgári — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Hungarian: nyárspolgárias — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Italian: filisteo — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Japanese: 俗っぽい. (zokuppoi) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Korean: 속물적 (songmuljeok) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Korean: 실리주의의 (sillijuuiui) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Korean: 무학하다 (muhakhada) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Norwegian: filistrøs — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Occitan: filistèu — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Polish: filisterski — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Portuguese: filisteu — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Portuguese: burguês — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Russian: филистёрский (filistjórskij) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Russian: меща́нский (meščánskij) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Russian: обыва́тельский (obyvátelʹskij) — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Spanish: filisteo — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Swedish: filisteisk — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Swedish: filiströs — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Swedish: brackig — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Swedish: kälkborgerlig — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Volapük: filistik — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Volapük: filistanik — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Volapük: hifilistanik — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Volapük: jifilistanik — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Volapük: filistanefik — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Volapük: hifilistanefik — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Volapük: hifilistanefik — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Welsh: philistaidd — lacking in appreciation for or antagonistic towards art or culture
• Arabic: فلستيون (Filastiyyūn) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Aramaic: ܦܠܫܬܝ̈ܐ — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Armenian: փղշտացի (pʻġštacʻi) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Catalan: filisteu — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Catalan: filistea — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Chinese Mandarin: 非利士人 (Fēilìshì rén) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Chinese Mandarin: 培肋舍特人 (Péilèishètè rén) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Maore Comorian: Mufilistini — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Czech: Filištín — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Danish: filister — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Dutch: Filistijn — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Dutch: Filistijnse — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Faroese: filistari — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Finnish: filistealainen — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• French: Philistin — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• French: Philistine — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• German: Philister — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• German: Philisterin — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Greek: Φιλισταίος (Filistaíos) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Ancient Greek: Φιλισταῖος (Philistaîos) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Ancient Greek: Φυλιστιείμ (Phulistieím) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Hebrew: פלשתי (P'lishti) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Hebrew: פְּלִשְׁתִּית — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Hindi: पलिश्ती (paliśtī) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Hungarian: filiszteus — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Irish: Filistíneach — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Old Irish: filistín — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Italian: filisteo — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Italian: filistea — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Japanese: ペリシテ人 (perishite-jin) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Kazakh: філістір (fılıstır) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Korean: 블레셋인 (beullesesin) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Korean: 블레셋 사람 (beulleset saram) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Korean: 필리스티나인 (pilliseutinain) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Korean: 필리스티나 사람 (pilliseutina saram) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Korean: 필리스틴 사람 (pilliseutin saram) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Latin: Philistaeus — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Latin: Philisthaeus — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Latin: Philistiim — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Latin: Philisthiim — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Latin: Philistīnus — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Navajo: Filístiya diné — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Norwegian Bokmål: filister — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Norwegian Nynorsk: filistar — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Occitan: Filistèu — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Occitan: Filistèa — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Polish: Filistyn — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Polish: Filistynka — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Portuguese: filisteu — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Portuguese: filisteia — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Russian: филисти́млянин (filistímljanin) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Spanish: filisteo — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Spanish: filistea — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Swahili: Mfilisti — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Swedish: filisté — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Tumbuka: muFilisiti — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Yiddish: פּלשתּי (plishti) — non-Semitic person from ancient Philistia
• Armenian: փղշտացի (pʻġštacʻi) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Catalan: filisteu — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Catalan: filistea — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Chinese Mandarin: 俗人 (súrén) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Czech: barbar — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Czech: šosák — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Danish: spidsborger — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Dutch: Filistijn — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Dutch: barbaar — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Dutch: Beotiër — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Dutch: primitieveling — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Faroese: smáborgari — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Finnish: filisteri — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Finnish: moukka — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• French: philistin — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• French: philistine — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• French: béotien — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• French: béotienne — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Philister — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Philisterin — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Banause — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Banausin — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Barbar — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Barbarin — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Ignorant — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Ignorantin — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Kulturbanause — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Kulturbanausin — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Kunstbanause — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Kunstbanausin — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Kunstbarbar — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Kunstbarbarin — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Primitivling — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Prolet — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Proletin — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Spießbürger — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Spießbürgerin — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Spießer — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Spießerin — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Sumper — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• German: Sumperin — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Greek: φιλισταίος (filistaíos) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Hungarian: filiszter — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Hungarian: filiszteus — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Hungarian: nyárspolgár — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Italian: filisteo — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Italian: filistea — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Korean: 속물적인 사람 (songmuljeogin saram) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Korean: 속물 (songmul) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Korean: 실리주의자 (sillijuuija) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Norwegian Bokmål: filister — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Norwegian Nynorsk: filistar — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Polish: filister — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Portuguese: filisteu — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Portuguese: filisteia — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Russian: фили́стер (filíster) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Russian: мещани́н (meščanín) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Russian: меща́нка (meščánka) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Russian: обыва́тель (obyvátelʹ) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Russian: обыва́тельница (obyvátelʹnica) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Swedish: bracka — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Swedish: kälkborgare — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Thai: บ้านนอก (bâan-nɔ̂ɔk) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Thai: ชาวบ้าน (chaao-bâan) — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Turkish: kıro — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Turkish: cahil — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Volapük: filistan — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Volapük: hifilistan — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Volapük: jifilistan — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Volapük: filistanef — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Volapük: hifilistanef — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture
• Volapük: jifilistanef — person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of culture