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Philistine

Philistine

3 9.5
Relating to the ancient people and culture of Philistia
  • adjective
  • /ˈfɪlɪstiːn/
: filisteo
  • Amatsia, lazy cat-eyes and a Philistine profile with a nose that descends in a straight line from his forehead, comes every afternoon to the Barzels' house in Rehavia to tell Hulda about his latest conquests.

Examples

  • The museum's exhibit on ancient history featured a section dedicated to the Philistine civilization and its influence on the region.

  • The archaeological findings in Gaza revealed many artifacts from the Philistine culture, including pottery and tools.

  • Historically, the Philistine people were known for their conflicts with the Israelites over territory and trade.

Compounds

A way of thinking that does not value art or books

Surface Forms

Philistine positive

Morphology

Philistine = Philistia (semi-transparent) = Philistia + ine

The adjective appears to be formed from the historical place name 'Philistia' plus the learned ending '-ine', but that connection is not productive or obvious to most learners.

Etymology

Philistine comes from the name of an ancient people called the Philistines, whose land was called Peleshet in Hebrew, meaning 'land of the Philistines'. So, when something is described as Philistine in this sense, it means it is from or about that old place and its culture.