pythonic

See also: Pythonic

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Category:English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#PYTHONICCategory:English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰewbʰ-#PYTHONICCategory:English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *puH-#PYTHONIC

From python (“snake of the family Pythonidae”) +‎ -ic (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives from nouns)Category:English terms suffixed with -ic#PYTHONIC.[1] Python is derived from LatinCategory:English terms derived from Latin#PYTHONIC Pȳthōn, from Ancient GreekCategory:English terms derived from Ancient Greek#PYTHONIC Πῡ́θων (Pū́thōn, “Python, mythical serpent which lived at Delphi”), from Πῡθώ (Pūthṓ, “Pytho, ancient name of Delphi; Python, the mythical serpent”) (probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-EuropeanCategory:English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#PYTHONIC *dʰewbʰ- (“deep; dark (?); unclear (?)”) or *puH- (“foul, rotten”)) + -ων (-ōn, suffix forming possessives).

Adjective

pythonic (comparative more pythonic, superlative most pythonic)Category:English lemmas#PYTHONICCategory:English adjectives#PYTHONICCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#PYTHONICCategory:Pages with entries#PYTHONICCategory:Pages with 1 entry#PYTHONIC

A Burmese python (Python bivittatusCategory:Entries using missing taxonomic name (species)#Python%20bivittatus). Something is said to be pythonic (etymology 1) if it pertains to or resembles a python.
  1. Of or pertaining to, or resembling, a python (“large constricting snake of the family Pythonidae”); pythonlike.
Translations

Etymology 2

From Late Middle EnglishCategory:English terms inherited from Middle English#PYTHONICCategory:English terms derived from Middle English#PYTHONIC phitonic, phithonice (“of a possessing spirit: oracular, prophetic”),[2] from Medieval LatinCategory:English terms derived from Medieval Latin#PYTHONIC phitōnicus, a variant of Late LatinCategory:English terms derived from Late Latin#PYTHONIC pȳthōnicus (“of or pertaining to divination, prophetic; magical”), from Byzantine GreekCategory:English terms derived from Byzantine Greek#PYTHONIC πυθωνικός (puthōnikós), from Koine GreekCategory:English terms derived from Koine Greek#PYTHONIC πύθων (púthōn, “spirit possessing a person, especially one with the power of prophecy”) + Ancient GreekCategory:English terms derived from Ancient Greek#PYTHONIC -ῐκός (-ĭkós, suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives).[3] Πύθων (Púthōn) is derived from Πῡθώ (Pūthṓ, “Pytho, ancient name of Delphi; Python, the monstrous snake said to have been slain by Apollo at Delphi”) (see further at etymology 1) + -ων (-ōn, suffix forming possessives). In ancient times, Pytho, later Delphi, was the location of a Temple of Apollo where the high priestess, or Pythia, was a well-known oracle or prophetess.

Adjective

pythonic (comparative more pythonic, superlative most pythonic)Category:English lemmas#PYTHONICCategory:English adjectives#PYTHONICCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#PYTHONICCategory:Pages with entries#PYTHONICCategory:Pages with 1 entry#PYTHONIC

  1. Of or pertaining to an oracle or prophet, or to the telling of prophecies; oracular, prophetic.
    Synonyms: augural, panomphean, Pythian, Pythic, pythonical
    • 1724, John Beaumont, “A Discourse of the Oracles Deliver’d at Delphos, and the Other Temples of the Gentiles; and of the Cessation of Them, both among the Jews and Gentiles”, in Gleanings of Antiquities. […], London: […] J. Roberts, […], →OCLC, page 147:
      And if it be his [Andreas Schott's] Opinion there vvas no ſuch Thing as a Pythonick Spirit, I vviſh he vvould read the Anſvver Father [Jean-François] Baltus has vvrit to Mr. [Bernard Le Bovier de] Fontenelle’s Book of Oracles, […]
      Category:English terms with quotations#PYTHONIC
    • 1750, The Holy Bible  […] Newly reviſed, and corrected according to the Clementin Edition of the Scriptures. (Douay–Rheims Bible, Challoner Revision), Deuteronomy 18:10–11, pages 364–365:
      [Verse 10] Neither let there be found among you any one that ſhall expiate his ſon or daughter, making them to paſs through the fire: or that conſulteth ſoothſayers, or obſerveth dreams and omens, neither let there be any wizard, / [Verse 11] Nor charmer, nor any one that conſulteth pythonick ſpirits, or fortune-tellers or that ſeeketh the truth from the dead.
      Category:English terms with quotations#PYTHONIC
    • 1792, William Spence, “Concerning His Gracious Majesty’s Lately Distressing Illness, It’s Cause and Cure; with Some Account of Talking with Spirits, Magic and Magnetism”, in Essays in Divinity and Physic, Proving the Divinity of the Person of Jesus Christ, and the Spiritual Sense of Scripture: […], London: […] R[obert] Hindmarsh, […] [a]nd sold by H. D. Symonds, […]; and R. Faulder, […], →OCLC, page 66:
      [T]he ſpirit from ſimilar affection favours the thoughts or principles of the man, […] The Pythonic ſpirits of old vvere ſuch, as alſo the Magi in Egypt and Babel, vvho vvere called vviſe men, on account of their talking vvith ſpirits, and plainly feeling their operation upon them.
      A translation of a passage from Apocalypsis Revelata (Apocalypse Revealed, 1766) by the Swedish theologian and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772).
      Category:English terms with quotations#PYTHONIC
    • 1858, Warren Goddard [et al.], “Summing Up and Application of the Evidence, and Conclusions Drawn therefrom”, in The Pythonism of the Present Day. The Response of the Ministers of the Massachusetts Association of the New Jerusalem to a Resolution of that Association Requesting Their Consideration of What is Usually Known as Modern Spiritualism. […], Boston, Mass.: George Phinney, […] [for the Massachusetts Association of the New Jerusalem], →OCLC, page 37:
      There may be those who will here ask, Why are these necromantic or pythonic practices ever permitted? […] [T]o those who know nothing of the Word, these evils may not be sins at all. […] To such, and for the same reason, the Pythonic oracles at Delphi, at Dodona, and at the temple of Ammon in Lybia, were means of good.
      Category:English terms with quotations#PYTHONIC
    • 1919, W[illiam] R[ichard] Harris, “Demoniacal Possession”, in Essays in Occultism, Spiritism, and Demonology, St. Louis, Mo.; London: B[artholomäus] Herder Book Co. […], →OCLC, page 137:
      Here is what we read in Deuteronomy, Chap. XVIII: "Neither let there be found among you any one that … consulteth soothsayers … or pythonic spirits, or fortune tellers, or that seeketh the truth from the dead. For the Lord abhorreth all these things, and for these abominations he will destroy them."
      Category:English terms with quotations#PYTHONIC
Translations

Etymology 3

See Pythonic (etymology 1).

Adjective

pythonic (comparative more pythonic, superlative most pythonic)Category:English lemmas#PYTHONICCategory:English adjectives#PYTHONICCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#PYTHONICCategory:Pages with entries#PYTHONICCategory:Pages with 1 entry#PYTHONIC

  1. Alternative letter-case form of Pythonic (“of or pertaining to, or resembling, the Python in Ancient Greek mythology, a serpent which lived at Delphi (regarded as the centre of the Earth) until it was killed by Apollo; (figurative) enormous; monstrous”).

Etymology 4

See Pythonic (etymology 2).

Adjective

pythonic (not comparable)Category:English lemmas#PYTHONICCategory:English adjectives#PYTHONICCategory:English uncomparable adjectives#PYTHONICCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#PYTHONICCategory:Pages with entries#PYTHONICCategory:Pages with 1 entry#PYTHONIC

  1. (programmingCategory:en:Programming#PYTHONIC) Alternative letter-case form of Pythonic (“using the idioms of the Python programming language”).
    Antonym: unpythonic

References

  1. ↑ “pythonic, adj.2”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023; “pythonic, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  2. ↑ “phitōnic, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  3. ↑ “pythonic, adj.1”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2024.

Further reading

Anagrams

Category:en:Greek mythology#PYTHONIC
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