Melkite

See also: melkite

English

Alternative forms

Melchite

Etymology

From Latin Melchita, from Byzantine Greek Μελχίτης (Melkhítēs), from Classical Syriac ܡܠܟܝܐ‎ (malkāyāʾ, “royal; royalist”) +‎ Byzantine Greek -ῑ́της (-ī́tēs). See these for more.

Pronunciation

(US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛlkaɪt/
(UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛlkʌɪt/

Noun

Melkite (plural Melkites)

(historical) In 5th-century Syria and Egypt, a sobriquet applied to Chalcedonians by their opponents, denoting the Chalcedonians' fidelity to the Byzantine emperor.
- 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, page 233:
  [...] increasingly a majority in the Egyptian Church as well as other strongholds of Miaphysitism denounced Chalcedonian Christians as ‘Dyophysites’ and sneered at them as ‘the emperor's people’ – Melchites.
(since the Great Schism) A member of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch or the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem; ellipsis of Orthodox Melkite.
(since 1724) A member of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church; ellipsis of Catholic Melkite.

Derived terms

Melkitism

Translations

(all senses)

Dutch: melkiet m
Finnish: melkiitti
French: melchite (fr) m or f, melkite (fr) m or f
German: Melkite m, Melkitin f
Italian: melchita
Polish: melchita m, melkita m
Portuguese: melquita (pt) m or f
Russian: мелькит (ru) m (melʹkit)
Spanish: please add this translation if you can