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Παμφυλία

Pamphylía

G3828 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Pamphylia; the region known as Pamphylia, located on the southern coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), particularly between Lycia and Cilicia, along the Mediterranean. The term refers specifically to the geographical region but may, in some contexts, connote its inhabitants or the cultural heterogeneity of the area due to its historical settlement by various populations.

Semantic Range

the region of Pamphylia in Asia Minor, the territory between Lycia and Cilicia; by extension, its inhabitants; with implied sense of multi-tribal or ethnically diverse (primarily as folk etymology)

Root / Etymology

From Greek Παμφυλία, traditionally interpreted as deriving from πᾶς (all/every) + φυλή (tribe/race); thus 'land of all tribes'. However, some modern scholars suggest the name is of pre-Greek (Anatolian) origin, and the folk etymology explaining it as 'all tribes' may not reflect the actual etymology. Etymology uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Pamphylia was a historically significant coastal region in southern Asia Minor. Its name appears in various Greek and Roman sources from at least the 5th century BCE onward. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, Pamphylia became notable for its cultural and linguistic diversity, having native Anatolian roots as well as significant Greek, Persian, and later Roman influence. In the New Testament (Acts 2:10; 13:13; 14:24; 15:38), Παμφυλία refers to the geographic region and, by extension, sometimes its inhabitants. The traditional explanation of the name as 'all-tribes' highlights ancient perceptions of the region’s mixed population but is more a reflection of Greek word-formation than a secure etymology. Standard English translations simply transliterate the name as 'Pamphylia,' which accurately conveys its reference as a toponym but lacks the nuance of ancient Greek awareness of ethnic mixture implied by the folk etymology. Ancient Greek writers sometimes contrasted Pamphylia with neighboring regions in terms of language and custom.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a compound of πᾶς and πυρά; every-tribal, i.e. heterogeneous (χώρα being implied); Pamphylia, a region of Asia Minor:--Pamphylia.

Root Family

Παμφυλία (Pamphylia) — tribe, people group, clan; region named for (folk etymology) ‘all tribes’

Root φυλ- tribe, people group, clan

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3828-01 Παμφυλίαν pamphulian N ACC F SG Pamphylia Pamphylia Pamphylia 3
G3828-02 Παμφυλίας pamphulias N GEN F SG Pamphylia of Pamphylia Pamphylia 2

Occurrences in Scripture

5 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3828-01 Acts 2:10 Παμφυλίαν pamphulian N ACC F SG Pamphylia Pamphylia
G3828-02 Acts 13:13 Παμφυλίας pamphulias N GEN F SG Pamphylia of Pamphylia Pamphylia
G3828-01 Acts 14:24 Παμφυλίαν pamphulian N ACC F SG Pamphylia Pamphylia Pamphylia
G3828-02 Acts 15:38 Παμφυλίας pamphulias N GEN F SG Pamphylia of Pamphylia Pamphylia
G3828-01 Acts 27:5 Παμφυλίαν pamphulian N ACC F SG Pamphylia Pamphylia Pamphylia
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