stigma

See also: Stigma

English

A stigma of a flower

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, St. Catherine of Siena, c. 1746

Etymology 1

From Latin stigma, from Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma, “mark of slavery or disgrace”), from στίζω (stízō, “to mark”). Closely related to stigme, and distantly related to stick.

Alternative forms

• stigmat (Anglicised long stem)
• stigmate
• stigme (Anglicised short stem, obsolete, rare)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈstɪɡmə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪɡmə

Noun

stigma (plural stigmata or stigmas)

2. An indication of infamy or disgrace.
   • 2023 September 8, David Donachie, A Shred of Honour: A Markham of the Marines Novel, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, page 2:

     But to have as an enforced dining companion a man who was probably a Papist, certainly a rake, and bore the stigma of cowardice, was anathema.

   2. (historical) A permanent identity mark branded, cut or tattooed onto the skin, typically given to slaves, criminals and traitors.
   3. (figurative) A negative and often unfair attitude (held by a group or society, to something). [1980s?–]
      • 1982, Journal of Gerontological Nursing:

        Yet, because of the stigma around nursing home placement, it is hard to find advocates from among the natural advocacy groups the families. You don't see families organized around long-term care as you do around specific diseases.

      • 2010 March 18, Dora Kohen, Oxford Textbook of Women and Mental Health, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 5:

        Hence, the stigma attached to mental disorders in general forms the basis of the stigma towards women with mental health problems. […]

      • 2018 March 8, Darko Pozder, Without Stigma: About the Stigma of the Mental Illness, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN:

        Coming into contact with the person affected by mental illness can help reduce the stigma that the public has towards the illness.

      • 2024 December 15, Amy Speier, Mobility in North American Surrogacy: A Fertile Global Industry, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, →ISBN, page 67:

        ... the stigma in the United States about the lower class accessing “welfare,”  […]

   5. (Christianity, chiefly in the plural stigmata) A mark on the body corresponding to one of the wounds of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and sometimes reported to bleed periodically.
   6. (figurative, poetic, rare) An expression or behaviour revealing one's hidden feelings.
      • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 65:

        Bradly scowled - the stigmata of alarm. What ultimate threat to his peace and privacy did this dropping in by young Podson imply?

3. A scar or birthmark.
5. (botany) The sticky part of a flower that receives pollen during pollination.

   Synonym: (obsolete) summit

   • 1905, Maude Gridley Peterson, How to Know Wild Fruits: A Guide to Plants When Not in Flower by Means of Fruit and Leaf‎^[2], Macmillan, page 202:

     Black crowberry. Empetrum nigrum. Crowberry Family. Fruit. — The black drupe is berrylike, globular, and incloses six to nine seedlike nutlets with a seed in each. The calyx is at the base and the stigma is at the apex. The drupes are solitary in the leaf axils. They are juicy, acid, edible, and serve as food for the Arctic birds.

   • 1982, Dennis Linde, “Reproduction”, in Grease 2:

     Now you see just how the stamen gets its lusty dust onto the stigma / And why this frenzied chlorophyllous orgy starts in spring is no enigma!

6. (medicine) A visible sign or characteristic of a disease.
7. (zoology) Synonym of pterostigma.

Derived terms

• antistigma
• orbicular stigma
• pseudostigma
• social stigma
• stigmal
• stigmaless
• stigmatic
• stigmatize
• stigmatose

Translations

indication of infamy or disgrace

• Arabic: وَصْمَة (ar) f (waṣma)
• Bulgarian: позор (bg) m (pozor), дамга (bg) f (damga)
• Catalan: estigma (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 恥辱 / 耻辱 (zh) (chǐrǔ), 污名 (wūmíng)

• Danish: stigma n
• Finnish: stigma (fi), häpeämerkki
• French: stigmate (fr) m
• Georgian: სტიგმა (sṭigma), სამარცხვინო დაღი (samarcxvino daɣi)
• German: Stigma (de) n
• Greek: στίγμα (el) n (stígma)
• Hungarian: stigma (hu), szégyenbélyeg (hu), bélyeg (hu), szégyenfolt (hu)
• Irish: smál m
• Italian: marchio (it) m, stigma (it) m
• Japanese: 恥辱 (ja) (ちじょく, chijoku), 汚点 (ja) (おてん, oten), 汚名 (ja) (おめい, omei)
• Māori: poapoataunu
• Persian: ننگ (fa) (nang)
• Polish: piętno (pl) n
• Portuguese: estigma (pt) m
• Russian: клеймо́ (ru) n (klejmó), позо́рное пятно́ n (pozórnoje pjatnó)
• Sicilian: stigma m, stimma m, nciuria f, gnuria f
• Spanish: estigma (es) m, sambenito (es)
• Swedish: stigma (sv) n
• Thai: มลทิน (th) (mon-tin)

Christianity: mark on the body corresponding to one of the wounds of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

• Bulgarian: съигма f (sǎigma)
• Gothic: 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌺𐍃 m (staks)
• Hungarian: stigma (hu)
• Irish: stiogmata m
• Italian: stigma (it) m, stimma m
• Latin: stigma n
• Polish: stygmat (pl) m
• Portuguese: chaga (pt) f
• Welsh: stigma m

scar or birthmark

• Bulgarian: белег (bg) m (beleg)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 疤痕 (zh) (bāhén), 胎記 / 胎记 (zh) (tāijì)

• Finnish: arpi (fi), syntymämerkki (fi)
• French: stigmate (fr) m
• German: Mal (de) n, Muttermal (de) n
• Greek: στίγμα (el) n (stígma)
• Hungarian: sebhely (hu), forradás (hu)
• Irish: spota m, stiogma m
• Japanese: (red birthmark) 紅斑 (こうはん, kōhan), (scar) 傷 (ja) (きず, kizu)
• Persian: داغ (fa) (dâġ)
• Polish: piętno (pl) n, znamię (pl) n
• Russian: шрам (ru) m (šram) (scar), роди́мое пятно́ (ru) n (rodímoje pjatnó), роди́нка (ru) f (rodínka)
• Spanish: antojo (es) m, marca de nacimiento f
• Thai: ปาน (th) (bpaan)
• Welsh: gwarthnod m, haearnod m

part of a flower

• Catalan: estigma (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 柱頭 / 柱头 (cyu⁵ tau⁴)

  Mandarin: 柱頭 / 柱头 (zh) (zhùtóu)

• Czech: blizna (cs) f
• Dutch: stempel (nl) m
• Esperanto: stigmo
• Finnish: luotti (fi)
• French: stigmate (fr) m
• German: Narbe (de) f
• Greek: στίγμα (el) n (stígma)
• Hungarian: bibe (hu)
• Icelandic: fræni n
• Irish: stiogma m
• Italian: stigma (it) f
• Japanese: 柱頭 (ja) (ちゅうとう, chūtō)
• Korean: 주두(柱頭) (judu)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: kosp (ku) f

• Latvian: drīksna f
• Māori: tauhae
• Persian: کلاله (fa) (kolâle)
• Portuguese: estigma (pt) m
• Romanian: stigmat (ro) n
• Russian: ры́льце (ru) n (rýlʹce)
• Spanish: estigma (es) m
• Swedish: märke (sv) n
• Tagalog: patdahan
• Telugu: కీలాగ్రము (kīlāgramu)
• Thai: ยอดเกสรตัวเมีย (yɔ̂ɔt-gee-sɔ̌ɔn-dtuua-miia)
• Turkish: tepecik (tr)
• Welsh: stigma m

See also

• astigmatism

Etymology 2

From Byzantine Greek στίγμα (stígma), likely coined by analogy with σίγμα (sígma).

Noun

stigma (plural stigmas)

2. (typography) A ligature of the Greek letters sigma and tau: Ϛ / ϛ.

Translations

ligature of the Greek letters sigma and tau

• Esperanto: stigmo
• Finnish: stigma (fi)
• French: stigma (fr) m
• Greek: στίγμα (el) n (stígma)
• Irish: stigme f
• Japanese: スティグマ (sutiguma)
• Polish: stigma (pl) f
• Russian: сти́гма (ru) f (stígma)

Further reading

• “stigma”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “stigma”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• stigma on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• stigmata on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• stigma (letter) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• mistag

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin stigma, from Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma, “mark of slavery or disgrace”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈstɪɡma]
• Hyphenation: stig‧ma

Noun

stigma n

1. stigma (an indication of infamy or disgrace)

Declension

Declension of stigma (ma-stem neuter reducible)

	singular	plural
nominative	stigma	stigmata
genitive	stigmatu	stigmat
dative	stigmatu	stigmatům
accusative	stigma	stigmata
vocative	stigma	stigmata
locative	stigmatu	stigmatech
instrumental	stigmatem	stigmaty

Danish

Etymology

From Latin stigma, from Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma, “mark of slavery or disgrace”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /stiːma/, [ˈsd̥iːma] or IPA^(key): /stikma/, [ˈsd̥iɡ̊ma]

Noun

stigma n (singular definite stigmaet, plural indefinite stigmata)

1. stigma (an indication of infamy or disgrace)

Inflection

Declension of stigma

neuter gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	stigma	stigmaet	stigmata	stigmataene
genitive	stigmas	stigmaets	stigmatas	stigmataenes

Related terms

• stigmatisere (“stigmatize”)
• stigmatisering (“stigmatization”)

Further reading

• stigma on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^da

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Latin stigma, from Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma, “mark of slavery or disgrace”).

Noun

stigma n (plural stigma's or stigmata, diminutive stigmaatje n)

1. stigma (an indication of infamy or disgrace)
2. (Christianity) stigma (mark on the body corresponding to one of the wounds of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ)

Derived terms

• stigmatisch
• stigmatiseren

Etymology 2

From Byzantine Greek στίγμα (stígma), likely coined by analogy with σίγμα (sígma).

Noun

stigma n (plural stigma's or stigmata, diminutive stigmaatje n)

1. (typography) stigma (a ligature of the Greek letters sigma and tau: Ϛ / ϛ)

Further reading

• stigma on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^nl

Finnish

Etymology

Internationalism (see English stigma), ultimately from Latin stigma, from Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈstiɡmɑ/, [ˈs̠tiɡmɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -iɡmɑ
• Syllabification^(key): stig‧ma
• Hyphenation^(key): stig‧ma

Noun

stigma

1. stigma (an indication of infamy or disgrace)

Declension

Inflection of stigma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		stigma	stigmat
genitive		stigman	stigmojen
partitive		stigmaa	stigmoja
illative		stigmaan	stigmoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		stigma	stigmat
accusative	nom.	stigma	stigmat
	gen.	stigman
genitive		stigman	stigmojen stigmain rare
partitive		stigmaa	stigmoja
inessive		stigmassa	stigmoissa
elative		stigmasta	stigmoista
illative		stigmaan	stigmoihin
adessive		stigmalla	stigmoilla
ablative		stigmalta	stigmoilta
allative		stigmalle	stigmoille
essive		stigmana	stigmoina
translative		stigmaksi	stigmoiksi
abessive		stigmatta	stigmoitta
instructive		—	stigmoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of stigma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative stigmani stigmani accusative nom. stigmani stigmani gen. stigmani genitive stigmani stigmojeni stigmaini rare partitive stigmaani stigmojani inessive stigmassani stigmoissani elative stigmastani stigmoistani illative stigmaani stigmoihini adessive stigmallani stigmoillani ablative stigmaltani stigmoiltani allative stigmalleni stigmoilleni essive stigmanani stigmoinani translative stigmakseni stigmoikseni abessive stigmattani stigmoittani instructive — — comitative — stigmoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative stigmasi stigmasi accusative nom. stigmasi stigmasi gen. stigmasi genitive stigmasi stigmojesi stigmaisi rare partitive stigmaasi stigmojasi inessive stigmassasi stigmoissasi elative stigmastasi stigmoistasi illative stigmaasi stigmoihisi adessive stigmallasi stigmoillasi ablative stigmaltasi stigmoiltasi allative stigmallesi stigmoillesi essive stigmanasi stigmoinasi translative stigmaksesi stigmoiksesi abessive stigmattasi stigmoittasi instructive — — comitative — stigmoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative stigmamme stigmamme accusative nom. stigmamme stigmamme gen. stigmamme genitive stigmamme stigmojemme stigmaimme rare partitive stigmaamme stigmojamme inessive stigmassamme stigmoissamme elative stigmastamme stigmoistamme illative stigmaamme stigmoihimme adessive stigmallamme stigmoillamme ablative stigmaltamme stigmoiltamme allative stigmallemme stigmoillemme essive stigmanamme stigmoinamme translative stigmaksemme stigmoiksemme abessive stigmattamme stigmoittamme instructive — — comitative — stigmoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative stigmanne stigmanne accusative nom. stigmanne stigmanne gen. stigmanne genitive stigmanne stigmojenne stigmainne rare partitive stigmaanne stigmojanne inessive stigmassanne stigmoissanne elative stigmastanne stigmoistanne illative stigmaanne stigmoihinne adessive stigmallanne stigmoillanne ablative stigmaltanne stigmoiltanne allative stigmallenne stigmoillenne essive stigmananne stigmoinanne translative stigmaksenne stigmoiksenne abessive stigmattanne stigmoittanne instructive — — comitative — stigmoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative stigmansa stigmansa accusative nom. stigmansa stigmansa gen. stigmansa genitive stigmansa stigmojensa stigmainsa rare partitive stigmaansa stigmojaan stigmojansa inessive stigmassaan stigmassansa stigmoissaan stigmoissansa elative stigmastaan stigmastansa stigmoistaan stigmoistansa illative stigmaansa stigmoihinsa adessive stigmallaan stigmallansa stigmoillaan stigmoillansa ablative stigmaltaan stigmaltansa stigmoiltaan stigmoiltansa allative stigmalleen stigmallensa stigmoilleen stigmoillensa essive stigmanaan stigmanansa stigmoinaan stigmoinansa translative stigmakseen stigmaksensa stigmoikseen stigmoiksensa abessive stigmattaan stigmattansa stigmoittaan stigmoittansa instructive — — comitative — stigmoineen stigmoinensa

Further reading

• “stigma”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[3] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

French

Etymology

From Byzantine Greek στίγμα (stígma), likely coined by analogy with σίγμα (sígma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /stiɡ.ma/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

stigma m (plural stigma or stigmas)

1. (typography) stigma (a ligature of the Greek letters sigma and tau: Ϛ / ϛ)

   Contrairement à ce que l'œil pourrait laisser croire, stigma n'est pas un sigma final grec : en effet, c'est l'évolution de la ligature d'un sigma lunaire avec un tau.

   Contrary to how the eye might lead you to believe, stigma isn't a Greek terminal sigma: in effect, it's the evolution of the ligature of a lunate sigma with a tau.

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈstiɡ.ma/
• Rhymes: -iɡma
• Hyphenation: stìg‧ma

Etymology 1

From Latin stigma, from Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma, “mark of slavery or disgrace”).

Noun

stigma m (plural stigmi)

1. stigma (an indication of infamy or disgrace)
2. (Christianity) stigma (mark on the body corresponding to one of the wounds of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ)

Related terms

• stigmata
• stigmatizzare

Etymology 2

From Byzantine Greek στίγμα (stígma), likely coined by analogy with σίγμα (sígma).

Noun

stigma m or f (invariable)

1. (typography) stigma (a ligature of the Greek letters sigma and tau: Ϛ / ϛ)

Further reading

• stigma¹ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• stigma² in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈstɪɡ.ma]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈstiɡ.ma]

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek στῐ́γμᾰ (stĭ́gmă).

Noun

stigma n (genitive stigmatis); third declension

1. (historical) stigma (a permanent identity mark branded, cut or tattooed onto the skin, typically given to slaves, criminals and traitors)

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

	singular	plural
nominative	stigma	stigmata
genitive	stigmatis	stigmatum
dative	stigmatī	stigmatibus
accusative	stigma	stigmata
ablative	stigmate	stigmatibus
vocative	stigma	stigmata

Derived terms

• distigmus
• stigmatōsus
• stigmātus
• stigmō
• stigmōsus

Related terms

• stigmatiās
• stigmatizō

Descendants

• → Catalan: estigma
• → English: stigma, stigmat, stigme
• → French: stigmate
• → Galician: estigma
• → Irish: stiogma
• → Italian: stigma, stimma
• → Polish: stygmat
• → Portuguese: estigma
• → Romanian: stigmă
• → Spanish: estigma

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

stigma n (genitive stigmatis); third declension

1. medieval spelling of stemma

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

	singular	plural
nominative	stigma	stigmata
genitive	stigmatis	stigmatum
dative	stigmatī	stigmatibus
accusative	stigma	stigmata
ablative	stigmate	stigmatibus
vocative	stigma	stigmata

References

• “stigma”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “stigma”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• R. E. Latham, D. R. Howlett, & R. K. Ashdowne, editors (1975–2013), “stigma”, in Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources‎^[4], London: Oxford University Press for the British Academy, →ISBN, →OCLC
• "stigma", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “stigma”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “stigma”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Niermeyer, Jan Frederik (1976), “2. stigma”, in Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden, Boston: E. J. Brill, page 991/2

Swedish

Etymology

From Latin stigma, from Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma, “mark of slavery or disgrace”).

Noun

stigma n

1. stigma (an indication of infamy or disgrace)

   att ha många barn har gått från stigma till status

   to have many children has gone from stigma to status

Declension

Declension of stigma

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	stigma	stigmas
	definite	stigmat	stigmats
plural	indefinite	stigman	stigmans
	definite	stigmana	stigmanas

Noun

stigma n

1. (Christianity, chiefly in the plural stigmata) stigma (mark on the body corresponding to one of the wounds of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ)

Declension

Declension of stigma

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	stigma	stigmas
	definite	stigmat	stigmats
plural	indefinite	stigman, stigmata	stigmans, stigmatas
	definite	stigmana	stigmanas

Related terms

• stigmatisera

References

• “stigma”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “stigma”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “stigma”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Welsh

Rhannau'r blodyn: A. wyfa/ofari; B. papws; C. anther; D. llabed; E. colofnig gyda stigmâu.

Etymology

Borrowed from English stigma, from Latin stigma, from Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma, “mark of slavery or disgrace”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈstɪɡma/

Noun

stigma m (plural stigmâu, not mutable)

1. stigma (an indication of infamy or disgrace)

   Synonyms: gwarthnod, haearnod

2. (Christianity) stigma (mark on the body corresponding to one of the wounds of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ)
3. (botany) stigma

   Synonyms: nodyn, blaenig

Mutation

Mutated forms of stigma

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
stigma	unchanged	unchanged	unchanged