Pamphlet

How to spell pamphlet

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce pamphlet

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does pamphlet mean?

1. nounA small unbound booklet, usually with a paper cover, containing information or argument on a single subject.

Pamphlet in a sentence

• The tourist office handed out a pamphlet listing local attractions.

• The campaign printed a pamphlet explaining its housing policy.

Where does pamphlet come from?

Language of origin: Greek

Pamphlet has a charming literary origin. In the 1100s a short Latin love poem called 'Pamphilus, seu de Amore' became hugely popular across Europe, copied and circulated as loose unbound pages. The poem's hero bore the Greek name Pamphilus, which literally meant 'beloved by all', from 'pan' meaning 'all' and 'philos' meaning 'loving' or 'dear'. People affectionately nicknamed the little booklet 'Pamphilet' in Old French, and English borrowed it in the late 1300s as the word for any small unbound treatise. The unexpected 'ph' in the middle is a direct trace of that Greek name, which is why the spelling traps writers who expect a simple 'f'. The same 'phil' root still surfaces in words like 'philosophy' and 'bibliophile'.

How the word is built

• pamphl- (from the personal name Pamphilus)
• -et (diminutive suffix)