Brewer's: Pamphlet

said to be from Pamphila, a Greek lady, whose chief work is a commonplace book of anecdotes, epitomes, notes, etc. Dr. Johnson suggests par-un-filet (held “by a thread”) —i.e. stitched, but not bound; another derivation is paginae filatae (pages tacked together). It was anciently written panfletus, pamflete, and by Caxton paunflet.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language