Stigmata
/ˈstɪɡ.mə.tə/noun
Plural of stigmata, meaning marks, signs, or bodily wounds, especially the crucifixion wounds believed to appear on a saint's body.
Did you know?In Christian tradition, stigmata refers to the miraculous appearance of Christ’s wounds on a person’s body, turning an ordinary Greek word for a mark into one of the most charged words in religious history.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steig-
“to stick, prick, or pierce”
Ancient Greek
Greek
στίζω (stízō)
“to prick, tattoo, or mark with a pointed instrument”
Ancient Greek
Greek
στίγμα (stígma)
“a mark, dot, tattoo, brand; later a bodily sign or wound”
Latin
Latin
stigma
“a mark, brand, or tattoo; a sign of disgrace or identification”
Middle English
English
stigma
“a mark, brand, or sign of shame or distinction”
Modern English
English
stigmata
“the plural form, especially the crucifixion wounds said to appear miraculously on the body”
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