kontakion

noun

kon·​ta·​kion

variants or contakion

kənˈtäkyȯn

plural kontakia or contakia

-yä

1

: a poetic sermon with numerous stanzas that was in common use in the Byzantine rite between the 6th and 8th centuries a.d.

2

: a usually short hymn in the Eastern Orthodox Church

Word History

Etymology

Middle Greek kontakion, literally, scroll, probably diminutive of Late Greek kontak-, kontax pole, from Greek kontos

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