Σαμαρεῖτις
Samareîtis
G4542 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A woman from Samaria (the region or city), especially a female inhabitant or native of Samaria. The term denotes geographic origin or regional identity, used primarily to specify a woman associated with Samaria as distinct from other regional identities in the Levant. In literary contexts of the New Testament, it can bear social, cultural, or religious overtones reflecting the distinctiveness of Samarians ('Samaritans') in contrast to other groups such as Judeans. The main sense is an adult woman who comes from or resides in Samaria, with connotations shaped by intergroup relations of the period.
Semantic Range
female inhabitant of Samaria, woman of Samaria, Samarian woman, a woman belonging to the Samarian (Samaritan) people or region
Root / Etymology
Formed as the feminine of Σαμαρεῖτης (Samareitēs, 'Samaritan'), derived from Σαμάρεια (Samareia, 'Samaria') plus the feminine suffix -ιτις, which indicates origin or association with a place or group.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Σαμαρεῖτις appears once in the New Testament (John 4:9), designating the woman from Samaria who converses with Jesus. The suffix -ιτις forms a feminine identity or regional association. In Greek usage of the Hellenistic and Roman periods, such forms commonly denoted women of a particular place or ethno-regional group. Samaritans (Σαμαρεῖται) formed a distinct community claiming descent from northern Israelite tribes, with distinctive religious practices centered on Mount Gerizim, often viewed as rivals to Judeans in both cultural and religious terms. English translations traditionally render the word as 'Samaritan woman' or 'woman of Samaria,' but these do not always convey the regional distinctiveness and contemporary perceptions of Samaria by other Levantine groups. Unlike the masculine, the feminine form is rare in extant literature, reflecting its specific use for the narrative context rather than a widely attested demonym. The term should not be conflated automatically with later or modern understandings of 'Samaritan' as a purely religious or charitable identity.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of Σαμαρείτης; a Samaritess, i.e. woman of Samaria:--of Samaria.
Root Family
Σαμαρειτ- (Samareîtis) — Samarian, of Samaria, regionally associated woman
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4542-01 |
Σαμαρείτιδος | samareitidos | N GEN F SG |
Samaritan | of a Samarian woman | of a Samarian woman | 1 |
G4542-02 |
Σαμαρεῖτις | samareitis | N NOM F SG |
Samaritan | Samarian woman | Samarian woman | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences