phylactery

== English == === Etymology === From Late Middle English philacterie, philaterie, filaterie (“amulet; tefilla; balderdash, idle words”), 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. The spelling of the Middle English word was probably influenced by Middle French filatiere, philaterie, philatiere, and Old French filatiere, philatiere (“amulet; reliquary; tefilla”) (modern French phylactère), also from phylacterium. Noun sense 1.2 (“fringe which an Israelite was required to wear”) was based on the mistaken assumption that the phylacteries (noun sense 1.1) referred to in Matthew 23:5 of the Bible were the same as the fringes mentioned in Numbers 15:37–39. The modern use of "phylactery" as a term for a lich's artifact originates from Dungeons and Dragons. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /fɪˈlæktəɹi/, /fɪˈlæktɹi/ (General American) IPA(key): /fəˈlæktəɹi/, /fəˈlæktɹi/ Rhymes: -æktəɹi Hyphenation: phy‧lac‧tery === Noun === phylactery (plural phylacteries) (Judaism) Either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah, traditionally worn by a Jewish man (one on the arm (usually the left) and one on the forehead) and now sometimes by a woman at certain morning prayers as a reminder to obey the law as set out in the Bible; a tefilla. Synonym: (obsolete) phylacter (figurative, chiefly derogatory) A profession of faith, or religious or traditional observance; also, a reminder. (archaic) A fringe which an Israelite was required to wear as a reminder to obey the law as set out in the Bible; (by extension) any fringe or border. (archaic) Synonym of amulet (“a protective charm or ornament”). Synonyms: see Thesaurus:amulet (by extension, fantasy, roleplaying games) An enchanted object used (for example, by a lich) to contain and protect the owner's soul. Synonym: (Harry Potter) horcrux (art, historical) A scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person's mouth or held in their hands, indicating what they are singing or speaking; a banderole, a speech scroll. (figurative) A list or record. (Christianity, historical, obsolete) Synonym of reliquary (“a container to display or hold religious relics”). ==== Usage notes ==== Some Jewish people discourage the pop-culture use of "phylactery" for "soul artifact used by necromancers", because it is seen as associating the holy object to necromancy or sorcery, two practices considered in Judaism as sins. ==== Alternative forms ==== philactery, philactory ==== Derived terms ==== phylacterial (rare) phylacteric (rare) phylacterical (obsolete) phylacteried (literary, archaic) ==== Related terms ==== philatory phylacter phylactered ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== klaf (“parchment used in Jewish ritual contexts”) mezuzah (“parchment scroll of Torah verses in a decorative container”) speech bubble (modern analogue of a speech scroll) === Notes === === References === === Further reading === magical objects in Harry Potter – horcruxes on Wikipedia.Wikipedia speech scroll on Wikipedia.Wikipedia tefillin on Wikipedia.Wikipedia phylactery (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia