πρεσβύτερος

Forms

πρεσβῠ́τερος (presbúteros) m (feminine πρεσβῠτέρᾱ, neuter πρεσβῠ́τερον); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is the comparative of πρέσβυς (présbus) “old man, elder”, formed with the suffix -τερος (-teros).^[1][2][3] Beekes analyses the word as a compound whose first part is a frozen adverb πρές (prés, “in front”), and gives its origin as Proto-Indo-European *pres-gʷeu- (“who goes in front”); the second part is disputed.^[2] Wiktionary lists three proposals: a word for cattle, “one who leads cattle”; a root meaning “to go”, compared with Sanskrit पुरोगव (purogava, “leader”); or a single form *pre(y)sgʷu-, cognate with Latin prīscus (“ancient”).^[1]

Wiktionary considers the Christian sense “elder of the church” likely a semantic loan from an Aramaic word.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Iliad it means “elder of two”: Nestor reminds Patroclus that he is older than Achilles.^[4][5]

Semantic evolution

In classical Greek it meant “older, elderly”, and as a plural noun “the older men, the older generation”.^[5][4] Herodotus uses it of peoples more ancient than others, and Pindar of counsels wise beyond one's years.^[5][4] Used of things, it meant “more important, taking precedence”: Herodotus says the Spartans held the god's commands more important than men's.^[4][5] An Athenian proverb, “older than Codrus”, was said of very old things, after the king of Athens.^[6][7]

From the 3rd century BC, papyri use it as a title, the elders of an Egyptian village, and Polybius perhaps for a Roman senator.^[4][5] The Septuagint uses it for the elders of Israel, members of the councils, and the New Testament for the elders of the Sanhedrin and of the Christian communities.^[8][3][5] In the church it became the title of the presbyter, the priest below the bishop, and Byzantine Greek used the feminine πρεσβυτέρα for a priest's wife.^[9][10] Modern Greek keeps it as a learned word for a priest and in the sense “older”.^[10]

Through Latin presbyter it is the source of English presbyter and, through an older Germanic borrowing of the Latin word, of priest.^[11] It was borrowed as Coptic ⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ (presbuteros), first recorded around AD 300.^[12]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it for the elder of two men.^[4][5]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it of more ancient peoples and of more important duties.^[5][4][13]
• 3rd century BC – Papyri use it for the elders of a village.^[4]
• 3rd to 2nd century BC – The Septuagint uses it for the elders of Israel.^[8]
• 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it for the elders of the Sanhedrin and of the Christian communities.^[3][5]
• About AD 300 – Coptic borrows it.^[12]
• 1590s – English first records presbyter.^[11]
• Modern Greek – It survives as a learned word, πρεσβύτερος (presvýteros), for a priest.^[10]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Older, the elder of two; elderly.^[4][5]
2. Living earlier in time, more ancient.^[5]
3. Of counsels or judgement: mature beyond one's years.^[5][4]
4. Of things: more important, taking precedence; of evils, graver.^[4][5]

Noun

1. In the plural, the older men, the older generation.^[5]
2. (Hellenistic) An elder or official of a village or a council.^[4][8]
3. (New Testament) An elder of the Jewish Sanhedrin or of a Christian community; a presbyter.^[3][5]

Word family

• πρεσβυτέριον (presbutérion)

Related words

• πρέσβυς (présbus)
• πρεσβύτης (presbútēs)
• Latin presbyter
• English presbyter
• English priest

Usage notes

The proverb “older than Codrus” was said of anything very old, after Codrus, a king of Athens.^[6][7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d Bauer, Walter; Danker, Frederick W., et al. (2000), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
6. ^ a b Photius, Lexicon, ed. Christos Theodoridis, vol. 1 (Α–Δ) (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1982); ed. Richard Porson (Cambridge, 1822)
7. ^ a b Hesychius of Alexandria, Lexicon, ed. Kurt Latte (Α–Ο, Copenhagen 1953–1966) and Moritz Schmidt (Π–Ω, Jena 1858–1868)
8. ^ a b c Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
9. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
10. ^ a b c Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
11. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
12. ^ a b Database and Dictionary of Greek Loanwords in Coptic (DDGLC), Freie Universität Berlin and Universität Leipzig
13. ^ Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge