prêtre

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pʁɛtʁ/^[1]
• IPA: /pʁɛːtʁ/^[1]

Forms

prêtre m (plural prêtres, feminine prêtresse)^[1] Old French nominative prestre, oblique provoire, proveire;^[2][3][1] prestre in the Académie dictionary of 1694 and 1718, prêtre from 1740.^[2][3][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French prestre, the old nominative, inherited from Ecclesiastical Latin presbyter (“elder; priest”), from Ancient Greek πρεσβύτερος (presbúteros, “elder”), first used in the New Testament for one of the elders of the people, the comparative of πρέσβυς (présbus, “old; venerable”).^[2][4][5][1] The old oblique provoire (about 1100, “Chanson de Roland”) came from Vulgar Latin *prebiterum, the accusative of an altered form *prebiter; it survives in the name of the rue des Prouvaires in Paris.^[2][4][6]

The word survives throughout Romance, from “presbyter” or from a late form “prebyter” influenced by Latin praebitor (“purveyor”), “he who provides for the salvation of the faithful”: Italian prete, Spanish preste, Old Occitan prestre and preveire.^[4][5][3] presbytère is a learned derivative of the same word.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Voyage de saint Brendan (early 12th century) has it for a man who has received holy orders in the Church.^[2][4] The Chanson de Roland already lists moines, canoines, proveires corunez “monks, canons, tonsured priests”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

By extension it named the minister of any religion (1213, Li Fet des Romains), and le grand prêtre the head of the Hebrew religion (about 1485).^[2][4] Outside Catholicism it is used mainly of antiquity and of exotic religions: Protestant and Jewish clergy are called pasteur, ministre or rabbin.^[4]

Du Bellay (1549) uses it figuratively for one devoted to the cult of a person or thing, grand prêtre in particular.^[2][4] Le parti prêtre named the zealous supporters of the Church under the Restoration (1826–1838), and prêtre-ouvrier “worker-priest” dates from 1948.^[2][4] The feminine prêtresse (12th century) meant a priest's concubine in the Middle Ages and has been a term of antiquity since the 15th century.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – The oblique proveire, in the Chanson de Roland.^[2][3]
• c. 1112 – Prestre, a Christian priest, in the Voyage de saint Brendan.^[2][7]
• 1213 – The minister of any religion.^[2]
• c. 1485 – Le grand prêtre.^[2]
• 1549 – Figuratively, a devotee, in Du Bellay.^[2]
• 1740 – The Académie spells it prêtre.^[2]
• 1948 – Prêtre-ouvrier.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A Catholic priest, one ordained to say Mass and give the sacraments.^[8][1]
2. A minister of a religion, especially of ancient or non-Christian religions: les prêtres de Baal, grand prêtre, a high priest.^[2][4]
3. (figurative) A devotee who serves and spreads a cult.^[2][4]
4. Prêtre-ouvrier: a worker-priest.^[2][4]

Word family

• prêtraille
• prêtresse
• prêtrise
• archiprêtre

Related words

• presbytère
• presbyte
• Ancient Greek πρεσβύτερος (presbúteros)
• English priest

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert