stiff-necked

See also: stiffnecked

English

Etymology

From stiff +‎ neck +‎ -ed.

(figurative): Calque of Hebrew קשה ערף (Exodus 33). A biblical term similar to Swedish styvnackad, Ancient Greek σκληροτράχηλος (sklērotrákhēlos), Russian жестоковыйный (žestokovyjnyj), German halsstarrig etc.

Adjective

stiff-necked (comparative more stiff-necked, superlative most stiff-necked)

1. (literally) Having a stiff neck; suffering from torticollis
2. (figuratively) Stubborn and arrogant.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 33:5:

     For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.

Derived terms

• stiff-neckedly
• stiff-neckedness

 

Translations

stubborn

• Bulgarian: твърдоглав (bg) (tvǎrdoglav)
• Dutch: hardnekkig (nl)
• Esperanto: malmolnuka
• German: steifnackig, hartnäckig (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: σκληροτράχηλος (sklērotrákhēlos)

• Hebrew: קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף (he) (qshe 'óref)
• Irish: cruamhuineálach
• Latin: contumax
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: stivnakket, hardnakket, urokkelig, halsstarrig (no)

  Nynorsk: hardnakka, stivnakka, vrangviljug

• Russian: упря́мый (ru) (uprjámyj), жестоковы́йный (ru) (žestokovýjnyj) (biblical, rare)
• Scottish Gaelic: rag-mhuinealach
• Swedish: styvnackad (sv), hårdnackad (sv)