archbishop English · revision 39373

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 850|origins=grc ἀρχιεπίσκοπος}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˌɑː(ɹ)t͡ʃˈbɪʃəp/, /ˈɑː(ɹ)t͡ʃˌbɪʃəp/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|archebishop]] (also [[m|enm|erchebishop]]), [[inh|ang|ærcebisceop]] (also [[m|ang|ercebiscop]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) [[der|la-lat|archiepiscopus]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2024)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[grc|ἀρχιεπίσκοπος|tr=arkhiepískopos|t=chief bishop]],^(Klein 1966)^(AHD 2024) formed from [[m|grc|ἀρχι-|tr=arkhi-|t=chief]] and [[m|grc|ἐπίσκοπος|tr=epískopos|t=overseer; bishop]].^(Klein 1966)^(Etymonline) The Old English word took over only the Latin prefix and kept the native [[m|ang|bisceop]];^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988) it probably replaced an earlier [[m|ang|hēahbisceop|t=high bishop]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline) The Middle English spelling with [[m|enm|arche-]] was influenced by the Latin form and by [[fro|archevesque]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The chief bishop of a province: about 850, in Old English, written as one word or two;^(Barnhart 1988) the OED's first quotation is from King Alfred's preface to the ''Pastoral Care''.^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The title has always named the senior bishop who oversees the other bishops of a province, in the Western Church from the 9th century especially the metropolitan bishops.^(Etymonline)^(OED 2026) In 1600 Philemon Holland used it in his Livy for the Roman ''pontifex maximus'',^(OED 2026) and in 1692 it appears as a verb, "to make archbishop", with ''to archbishop it'', to act as one.^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 850 – Old English ''ærce biscop'', ''erce biscop''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1121 – Middle English ''archebishop'', ''erchebishop''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1600 – for the Roman ''pontifex maximus''.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1692 – the verb, to make archbishop.^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[bishop]] of the highest rank, who heads an [[archdiocese]] or a [[province]] and oversees its other bishops.^(AHD 2024)^(COED 2004)^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[archbishopric]]

+ * [[bishop]]

+ * [[bishopric]]

+ * [[episcopal]]

+ * [[archdiocese]]

+ * [[archdeacon]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}