Talk:Philistine

Hi, I am not sure about your definition here. What do you mean by innocent? (Lacking guilt? Lacking knowledge of sin? Naive?) My definition would be, "A person who lacks appreciation of art or culture". Amatlexico 26 Nov 2003 20:57 UTC


 * Merriam-Webster agrees with you. I've updated it. -- Ortonmc 00:05, 27 Nov 2003 (UTC)

I've heard anecdotal (but possibly apocryphal) evidence that the now more common meanings were a reference to the Philistines keeping pigs as domestic animals and,therefore, being viewed as peasant like and unrefined - particularly by cultures where pork is not viewed as suitable to eat. Is there any evidence to support this view?

Tea room 2009 discussion
Isn't this usually capitalized in all senses? --EncycloPetey 17:51, 2 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Apparently mostly yes when used a noun, but mostly not when used as an adj., derived terms mostly not, per MWOnline. It seemed that way from a quick look at books, too. Their reputation for having an alphabet but no literature is possibly undeserved. Apparently they wrote on a kind of material that lasted not very long compared to parchment and papyrus. DCDuring Holiday Greetings! 18:18, 2 January 2009 (UTC)


 * The word is slated to be WOTD on the 16th of this month. It could use cleanup for that. --EncycloPetey 02:26, 9 January 2009 (UTC)

Possible older missing sense
Chambers 1908 also defines it as "a name applied by German students to shopkeepers and others not connected with the university". Equinox ◑ 15:21, 15 July 2019 (UTC)
 * The OED has "2. In German universities: (a derogatory term for) a townsperson, a non-student. Cf. philister n.  Now hist." (with example sentences in English) SemperBlotto (talk) 15:26, 15 July 2019 (UTC)

addition to etymology

 * ancient egyptian reference to philistine: p-r-s-t from 1150 B.C.
 * an assyrian reference to philistine: palashtu or palastu from 850 B.C.
 * ShlomoKatzav (talk) 04:18, 3 October 2021 (UTC)