Sabbatarian
/ˌsæbəˈtɛəriən/noun
A person who strictly observes the Sabbath, especially Saturday as a day of religious rest and worship.
Did you know?The European word “sabbat,” later associated with witches’ gatherings, was historically connected to “Sabbath,” although witch-trial imagery was a later cultural reinterpretation rather than the word’s original meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
šabbāṯ
“Sabbath; a day of cessation or rest”
Ancient Aramaic
Aramaic
šabbətā
“Sabbath or day of rest”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sábbaton
“Sabbath; a sacred day of rest”
Late Antiquity
Latin
sabbatum
“Sabbath”
Old English
Old English
sabbath
“The Jewish or Christian Sabbath”
17th Century
English
Sabbatarian
“A person advocating strict observance of the Sabbath”
Modern English
English
Sabbatarian
“A strict observer of the Sabbath, especially Saturday”
Explore more surprising origins