The noun is derived from Middle English Philistyne , Philisten [ and other forms ] , from Old English Filistina ( genitive plural ) , from Old French Philistin (modern French Philistin ) and Late Latin Philistinus , from Koine Greek Φυλιστῖνοι ( Phulistînoi ) , a variant of Φυλιστιίμ ( Phulistiím ) , Φυλιστιείμ ( Phulistieím ) (compare Koine Greek Παλαιστῖνοι ( Palaistînoi ) ), from Hebrew פְּלִשְׁתִּים ( p'lishtím , plural noun ) , from פְּלִשְׁתִּי ( p'lishtí , “ Philistine ” , adjective ) , from פְּלֶשֶׁת ( p'léshet , “ Philistia ” ) . An Anatolian origin should be considered, compare Hittite 𒁄𒄭𒅖 ( pal-ḫi-iš /palḫis/ , “ wide, broad ” ) , nominalized as lowland, plain + 𒊭𒀀𒆠𒄑𒍣 ( ša-a-ki-ez-zi /šākizzi/ , “ seeks out ” ) , nominalized as explorer, colonist , which would yield something like palḫis-sak or palḫis-sku .
In light of the Philistines’ likely Aegean origins, several scholars have proposed Greek etymologies for the ethnonym:
The English word is cognate with Akkadian 𒆳𒉿𒇺𒋫 ( pi-lis-ta , “ Pilistu ” ) , 𒆳𒉺𒆷𒊍𒌓 ( pa-la-as-tu₂ /Palastu/ ) , 𒆳𒉿𒇺𒋫𒀀𒀀 ( pi-liš-ta-a-a /Pilištayu/ , “ (people) of the Pilištu lands ” ) , and is a doublet of Palestine .
The archaic noun plural form Philistim is from Middle English Philistiim [ and other forms ] , from Late Latin Philisthiim , from Koine Greek Φυλιστιίμ ( Phulistiím ) , Φυλιστιείμ ( Phulistieím ) ; see further above.
The adjective is derived from the noun. For the etymology of the "ignorant person" sense, see philistine .