melkite means in 5th-century Syria and Egypt, a sobriquet applied to Chalcedonians by their opponents, denoting the Chalcedonians' fidelity to the Byzantine emperor. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
melkite is pronounced /ˈmɛlkaɪt/.
Etymology
From Latin Melchita, from Byzantine Greek Μελχίτης (Melkhítēs), from Classical Syriac ܡܠܟܝܐ (malkāyāʾ, “royal; royalist”) + Byzantine Greek -ῑ́της (-ī́tēs). See these for more.
noun
- In 5th-century Syria and Egypt, a sobriquet applied to Chalcedonians by their opponents, denoting the Chalcedonians' fidelity to the Byzantine emperor.“[...] increasingly a majority in the Egyptian Church as well as other strongholds of Miaphysitism denounced Chalcedonian Christians as ‘Dyophysites’ and sneered at them as ‘the emperor's people’ – Melchites.”
- A member of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch or the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem; ellipsis of Orthodox Melkite.
- A member of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church; ellipsis of Catholic Melkite.