Cilicium
/sɪˈlɪsiəm/noun
A coarse haircloth, especially one worn as a garment of penance or self-mortification.
Did you know?Early Christian ascetics wore cilicium, or haircloth, as a bodily discipline intended to suppress comfort and worldly desire; the material was associated with Cilicia, famed for its coarse goat hair.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κιλίκιον (kilikion)
“A Cilician cloth or fabric, traditionally made from coarse goat hair.”
Classical Antiquity
Greek
Κιλικία (Kilikia)
“Cilicia, the region of southeastern Anatolia associated with the cloth’s production.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
cilicium
“A coarse Cilician cloth; later, a rough garment used for ascetic discipline.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
cilicium
“Haircloth worn by penitents, ascetics, and sometimes soldiers or laborers.”
Middle English
English
cilice
“A haircloth garment or instrument of bodily penance, from the same Latin source.”
Modern English
English
cilicium
“A rare term for coarse haircloth, especially when used for religious self-mortification.”