‖ pythoˈnissa Now rare.
Forms: 4–5 phitonissa, -yssa, 5–7 -essa, 6 phætonissa, 7– pythonissa.
[Late L. pȳthōnissa (Vulgate), med.L. phitonissa (Du Cange), fem. of pȳthō python2.]
= pythoness. (Often treated as proper name of the witch of Endor.)
[Cf. Vulg. 1 Chron x. 13 Eo quod..insuper etiam pythonissam consuluerit: LXX ἐν τῷ ἐγγαστριµύθῳ.]
| c 1386 Chaucer Friar's T. 210 Speke as renably..As to the Phitonissa [v. rr. -yssa, -essa] dide Samuel. 1586 Tri. Trophes 73 in Bond Lyly's Wks. (1902) III. 430 In Phætonissa schoole, at Endor they were taught. 1608 Middleton Fam. Love iii. iv, What heauenly breath of Phitonessaes powre (That rays'd the dead corpes of her friend to life). 1625 Bacon Ess., Of Prophecies (Arb.) 535 Saith the Pythonissa to Saul; To Morrow thou and thy sonne shall be with me. 1825 Ann. Reg. 216/2 The oracles of the humble Pythonissa [Mme. Krudener] were declared seditious. |