kontakion

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word kontakion. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word kontakion, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say kontakion in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word kontakion you have here. The definition of the word kontakion will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofkontakion, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Byzantine Greek κοντάκιον (kontákion).

Noun

kontakion (plural kontakia)

  1. (Eastern Orthodoxy) A form of hymn or poem recited as a dialogue between a chanter and the choir.
    • 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 454:
      The liturgical form of hymn which replaced the kontakion was the canon, a set of nine hymns.
    • 1988, Milorad Pavić, translated by Christina Pribićević-Zorić, Dictionary of the Khazars, Vintage, published 1989, page 31:
      When awakened, Kyr Avram sits in bed and, as if out of fear, sings troparia and contakia in honor of his ancestors, when the Serbian church has declared saints.

Alternative forms