stylite

English

WOTD – 8 October 2011

Simeon Stylites, a stylite, is shown twice in this image.

Etymology

From Ecclesiastical Greek στυλίτης (stulítēs), from Ancient Greek στῦλος (stûlos, “pillar”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈstʌɪlʌɪt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈstaɪlaɪt/

• Audio (Northern California):

  (file)

Noun

stylite (plural stylites)

1. (Christianity, historical) A Christian ascetic in ancient times who lived alone on top of a tall pillar.

   Synonyms: pillar-saint, pillarist

   • 1997, John Julius Norwich, A Short History of Byzantium, Penguin, published 1998, page 53:

     Daniel, the famous stylite of the city, actually descended from his pillar for the first time in fifteen years, terrifying Basiliscus into the withdrawal of his edict.

   • 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 208:

     Stylites often became major players in Church politics, shouting down their theological pronouncements from their little elevated balconies to the expectant crowds below, or giving personalized advice to those favoured enough to climb the ladder and join them on their platform.

Derived terms

• stylitess
• stylitic
• stylitism

Related terms

• Stylites (an epithet for a pillar-saint)

Translations

Christian ascetic cloistered atop a pillar

• Bulgarian: стълпник (bg) m (stǎlpnik)
• Dutch: pilaarheilige (nl) m or f, styliet (nl) m
• Esperanto: kolonsanktulo, kolonsanktulino (female)
• Finnish: pylväspyhimys (fi), styliitta (fi)
• French: stylite (fr) m or f, stylitesse (fr) f
• German: Säulenheiliger (de) m, Säulenheilige (de) f, Stylit m, Stylitin f
• Greek: στυλίτης (el) m (stylítis), στυλίτισσα (el) f (stylítissa)

  Ancient: στῡλῑ́της m (stūlī́tēs), στῡλῑ́τῐσσᾰ f (stūlī́tissa)

• Italian: stilita (it) m
• Latin: stȳlītēs m, stȳlītissa f
• Polish: słupnik m, stylita m
• Portuguese: estilita m, santo do pilar m, santa do pilar f
• Romanian: stâlpnic m
• Russian: сто́лпник (ru) m (stólpnik), сто́лпница (ru) f (stólpnica)
• Sicilian: stilitu m, santu â culonna m
• Spanish: estilita (es) m or f
• Swedish: stylit c, pelarhelgon n

Anagrams

• Stitely, testily, Titleys

French

Noun

stylite m or f (plural stylites)

1. stylite

Further reading

• “stylite”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /styːˈliː.teː/, [s̠t̪yːˈlʲiːt̪eː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /stiˈli.te/, [st̪iˈliːt̪e]

Noun

stȳlītē m

1. ablative/vocative singular of stȳlītēs