proxenos
English
Alternative forms
- proxenus (Latinate spelling)
Etymology
From Ancient Greek πρόξενος (próxenos, “public guest”), from πρό (pró, “before (in preference)”) (whence English pro-) + ξένος (xénos, “recipient of hospitality”, “guest”, “stranger”) (whence English xen-, -xeny); compare proxenus; unrelated to either Latin proximus, English proxy, or their derivations.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: prŏkʹsĭnŏs, IPA(key): /ˈpɹɑksɪnɒs/
- (General American) enPR: prŏkʹsənôs', prŏkʹsənŏs', IPA(key): /ˈpɹɑksɪˌnɔs/, /ˈpɹɑksɪˌnɑs/
- Hyphenation: prox‧e‧nos
Noun
proxenos (plural proxenoi)
- (in Ancient Greek historical) A citizen of a state appointed by another state to host its ambassadors and to represent and protect its interests there.
Synonyms
- hospes (Roman equivalent); consul, minister-resident (modern equivalents)
Related terms
- proxenete (chiefly historical)
- proxeny (in Ancient Greek history)
References
- “proxenos, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary (draft revision, March 2008)