Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Pharisee” come from?

Pharisee comes from Latin Pharisaeus, from Ancient Greek Φαρισαῖος, from Aramaic פְּרִישַׁיָּא, ultimately from Aramaic פְּרִישׁ meaning separated or set apart.

Pharisee (English): A member of an ancient Jewish political party, a...

Definitions

  1. A member of an ancient Jewish political party, a...

Ancestry of “Pharisee”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinPharǐsaeus—
2Ancient GreekΦαρισαῖοςPharisee, a member of an ancient religious sect...
3Aramaicפְּרִישַׁיָּא—
4Aramaicפְּרִישׁseparatist; separated

Words derived from “Pharisee”

  • pharisaic
  • Phariseeism
Every word from Aramaic פְּרִישׁ →