presbyter

presbyter

English

Etymology

From Late Latin presbyter, from Ancient Greek πρεσβύτερος (presbúteros), from πρέσβυς (présbus, “elder, older”). Doublet of prester.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹezbɪtə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹezbɪtɚ/, /ˈpɹesbɪtɚ/

Noun

presbyter (plural presbyters)

1. An elder, priest, pastor, or minister in various Christian churches.
2. An elder of the Presbyterian church.
3. An elder of the congregation in early Christianity.

Related terms

• presbytera
• presbyterate
• presbyterian
• Presbyterian
• presbyterianism
• Presbyterianism
• presbytership
• presbytery

 

Translations

elder, priest, pastor, or minister in various Christian churches

Armenian: երեց (hy) (erecʿ) Breton: beleg (br) m Bulgarian: презвитер m (prezviter) Esperanto: presbitero, pastro French: prêtre (fr) m German: Presbyter m, Presbyterin f, Priester (de) m, Priesterin (de) f Greek: Ancient Greek: πρεσβυτεροσ (presbuteros), πρεσβυτερασ f (presbuteras) Irish: preispitéir m Italian: presbitero (it) m Latin: presbyter m Polish: prezbiter (pl) m, kapłan (pl) m Portuguese: presbítero (pt) m Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: прѐзбитер m Roman: prèzbiter (sh) m Spanish: presbítero (es) m

elder of the Presbyterian church

German: Presbyter m, Presbyterin f

elder of the congregation in early Christianity

References

• presbyter in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

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Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πρεσβύτερος (presbúteros).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈpres.by.ter/, [ˈprɛs̠bʏt̪ɛr]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈpres.bi.ter/, [ˈprɛzbit̪er]

Noun

presbyter m (genitive presbyterī); second declension

1. (Late Latin, Christian Latin) elder, presbyter

Declension

Second-declension noun (nominative singular in -er).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	presbyter	presbyterī
Genitive	presbyterī	presbyterōrum
Dative	presbyterō	presbyterīs
Accusative	presbyterum	presbyterōs
Ablative	presbyterō	presbyterīs
Vocative	presbyter	presbyterī

Derived terms

• presbytera
• presbyterātus

Related terms

• presbyterium

Descendants

• Balkan Romance:
  • Aromanian: preftu, preft
  • Romanian: preot
• Dalmatian:
  • priast
• Italo-Romance:
  • Corsican: preti
  • Old Italian: preite, previte
    • Italian: prete
  • Neapolitan: prevete, preote, preite, preute
  • Sicilian: prèviti
• North Itlaian:
  • Emilian: prît
  • Friulian: predi
  • Ligurian: præve, præ
  • Lombard: prev, pret, preit, prèvet

    Ossolano: prèu, prèf, prèvi

  • Piedmontese: prèive, prève
  • Romagnol: prid, prit
  • Romansch: prer, prear, preir
  • Venetian: prète, prèvede, pre
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Old Francoprovençal: prestre, prestro (nominative form); preveiro (from the accusative form)
    • Franco-Provençal: prétro, prétre, preitre, préthre, prére, prire

      Valdôtain: prèire

  • Old French: prestre, provoire
    • French: prêtre
• Occitano-Romance:
  • Catalan: prevere
  • Occitan: preveire, perbeire (dated)

    Auvergnat: prestre

    Gascon: prèste

    Languedocien: prèire, preire

    Limousin: prestre, pestre

    Provençal: prèire

    Vivaro-Alpine: preire

• West Iberian:
  • Old Spanish: preste
    • Spanish: preste
• Insular Romance:
  • Sardinian: preide, prede, predi
• Sardinian:
  • Campidanese: predi
  • Logudorese: preide, prede, preìderu, pìderu

Borrowings

• → Albanian: prift
• → English: presbyter, prester
• → Irish: preispitéir
• → Middle Dutch: priester
  • Dutch: priester
    • Afrikaans: priester
• → Old English: prēost
  • Middle English: prest, preest
    • English: priest
  • → Old Norse: prestr
• → Old High German: prēstar
  • Middle High German: priester
    • German: Priester
• → Old Welsh: primter
  • → Primitive Irish: ᚊᚏᚔᚋᚔᚈᚔᚏ (qrimitir)
    • Old Irish: cruimther
      • Middle Irish: cruimther, cruimmther, cruimper
        • Irish: cruimhthir
        • Scottish Gaelic: cruimthear
• → Old Church Slavonic: презвитеръ (prezviterŭ)
  • Bulgarian: презвитер (prezviter)
  • → Macedonian: презвитер (prezviter)

References

• “presbyter”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• presbyter in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎, pre-publication website, 2005-2016