Etymologically
Log in

philistine

Etymology and origin of the English word philistine

History Permalink

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈfɪlɪstaɪn/ (UK); /ˈfɪlɪˌstaɪn/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It comes from the name of the Philistines, a people of ancient Palestine who fought the Israelites,[2][3][4][5][6] through Late Latin Philistīnī and Greek Philistînoi,[2][3][4][6] from Biblical Hebrew פְּלִשְׁתִּים (Pəlištîm, “people of Philistia”).[2][3][4][6] The modern sense translates German Philister.[3][4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

One of the Philistines (early 14th century).[4][7][3]

Semantic evolution

From about 1600 the name was used humorously of anyone regarded as an enemy, such as bailiffs or critics.[7][4][3] In German student slang, supposedly first at Jena in the late 17th century, Philister meant a townsman as opposed to a student,[4][2][7] and so any uncultured person.[4] Thomas Carlyle introduced this sense to English in 1827,[4][3][7] and Matthew Arnold popularized it.[4] A philistine is someone indifferent or hostile to art and culture.[2][5][6]

Timeline

  • early 14th century – one of the Philistines.[4][7]
  • 1600 – an enemy into whose hands one may fall.[7][3]
  • 1824 – a non-student, translating German Philister.[7]
  • 1827 – an uncultured person, in Carlyle.[7][3][4]
  • 1831 – adjective, uncultured.[7][3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A person who is indifferent or hostile to art, culture and intellectual pursuits.
  2. A person ignorant of a particular subject.
  3. (capitalized) A member of an ancient people of Philistia.

Adjective

  1. Uncultured and commonplace in taste.

Word family

  • philistinism
  • Palestine

Usage notes

Random House gives Babbitt, vulgarian and lowbrow as synonyms.[6]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Philistine.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/philistine. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·