epitrachelion

Meanings

1. The liturgical vestment worn by priests and bishops of the Eastern Orthodox Church as the symbol of their priesthood, corresponding to the Western stole.

Etymology

Borrowed from Byzantine Greek ἐπιτραχήλιον (epitrakhḗlion), from Ancient Greek ἐπιτραχήλιος (epitrakhḗlios, “on the neck”) + -ιον (-ion, suffix forming diminutive nouns). ἐπιτραχήλιος (epitrakhḗlios) is from ἐπι- (epi-, “on, upon, on top of, covering”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“on; at; near”)) + τράχηλος (trákhēlos, “neck”) + -ῐος (-ĭos) (from Proto-Indo-European *-yós (suffix forming adjectives)).