paynim
1
9.9
An old word for people who were not Christian, often Muslim, in medieval stories
- noun
- /ˈpeɪnɪm/
- Slur
:
infiel (antiguo, peyorativo)
- In the medieval tale, the knights often battled against the dreaded paynim who threatened their lands.
Examples
-
The male protagonist of this passage (Tancredi) is in love with Clorinda, the beautiful paynim with whom he is at war; hence, in Petrarchan terms, she is assailing him with two deaths ("due morti") at once.
Academic text (2003) -
The explorer documented his encounters with various paynim tribes during his travels through the rugged mountains.
-
In her story, the hero faces challenges from the cunning paynim who reject the teachings of the cross.
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word paynim comes from the old word pagan and the Latin paganus, which first meant 'country person' and later 'non-Christian' or 'heathen'. So medieval writers used paynim for people who were not Christians, often Muslims, and today the word is old-fashioned.