Stigma - stigmata - stigmatic

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Stigmata are bodily marks or sensations of pain that correspond with the crucifixion wounds of Jesus. The term comes from Saint Paul's Letter to the Galatians in which he says "I bear on my body the marks of Jesus". In the Vulgate bible, the word 'mark' is translated as 'stigmata'; and someone bearing these marks or pains is known as a stigmatic. The majority of stigmatics are women and the phenomenon is primarily associated with the Roman Catholic faith. The cause of stigmata remains unknown and is subject to argument between those that believe it is miraculous and those who think it can be medically explained.

In contexts other than religion, and the apparent miracles of the stigmata, the word stigma is used to mean a 'mark of shame'. "A white feather was presented to men believed to have avoided volunteering for the war as a stigma of their cowardice"; "He always bore with him the stigma of his disgrace". This reflects the fact that one of the mysteries of Christianity is that Jesus was put to death in the most shameful way used by the Romans.

(The word stigmata is actually a plural. The singular is stigma. The word comes from Greek, via Latin; the plural form is regular.)