Phrygian

American  

[frij-ee-uhn] / ˈfrɪdʒ i ən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Phrygia, its people, or their language.

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Phrygia.

2. an Indo-European language that was the language of Phrygia.

Phrygian British  

/ ˈfrɪdʒɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to ancient Phrygia, its inhabitants, or their extinct language

2. music of or relating to an authentic mode represented by the natural diatonic scale from E to E See Hypo-

3. music (of a cadence) denoting a progression that leads a piece of music out of the major key and ends on the dominant chord of the relative minor key

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of ancient Phrygia

2. an ancient language of Phrygia, belonging to the Thraco-Phrygian branch of the Indo-European family: recorded in a few inscriptions

Etymology

Origin of Phrygian

From the Latin word Phrygiānus, dating back to 1570–80. See Phrygia, -an

Example Sentences

This year’s Olympic mascots are the Phryge and the Paralympic Phryge, small creatures that resemble a Phrygian cap, a slightly drooping, cone-shaped hat typically associated with themes of liberty in European and colonial cultures.

From Salon • Jul. 25, 2024

They are modelled on the red "Phrygian" caps worn during the French Revolution of 1789, when the monarchy was overthrown.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2024

“The Phrygian cap embodies the ability we all have together when we collectively decide to rise up to strive for better,” Paris organizing committee brand director Julie Matikhine said.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 14, 2022

“The Phrygian cap represents a brief preoccupation of mine,” Mr. Puryear told The Times last year.

From New York Times • Aug. 15, 2018

Now might come a Saxon wearing the beard and a sort of Phrygian cap, as a sign of defiance—now a knight from the Marches of the Northern border.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White