phylacter

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French phylactère, 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)

1. (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

Derived terms

• phylactered

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)

1. (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