pastor English · revision 7944

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1362|origins=la pastor}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈpɑː.stə/ ''(UK)''; /ˈpæs.tɚ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English pastour, [[bor|xno|pastour]], Old French pastur, pastor, herdsman, shepherd,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) and directly Latin [[m|la|pastor|alt=pāstor|t=shepherd]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from pastus, past participle of [[m|la|pasco|alt=pāscere|t=to lead to pasture, feed, graze]] (see [[pasture]]),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from PIE [[ine-pro|*peh₂-|alt=*pa-|t=to feed; tend, guard]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A herdsman or shepherd: 1362 in the OED, before 1376 in ''Piers Plowman'' in Barnhart; as a surname from 1242.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A shepherd of souls, a spiritual guide or minister, is from 1377–87, in Trevisa;^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) the spiritual sense was already in Church Latin, as in Gregory's ''Cura Pastoralis''.^(Etymonline) Merriam-Webster's Word Histories traces it to the biblical image of God as shepherd: the Vulgate renders ''I am the good shepherd'' as ego sum pastor bonus.^(MW Word Histories) One who guides or protects a group of people is from about 1400.^(OED 1989) The literal sense, shepherd, is now unusual or archaic.^(OED 1989)^(Collins 2023) The verb, to take care of beasts, is from 1587,^(OED 1989) and in the Christian sense from 1872.^(Etymonline) In ornithology the rosy pastor is a pink and black starling of southern Asia.^(Collins 2023)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1242 – as a surname.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1362 – a shepherd.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1377 – a shepherd of souls.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1400 – a protector.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1587 – the verb.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A Christian [[minister]] or priest in charge of a congregation.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A person who gives spiritual guidance to a group.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A [[shepherd]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To serve as pastor of.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pastorship]]

+ * [[pastorless]]

+ * [[pastorlike]]

+ * [[subpastor]]

+ * [[pastorage]]

+ * [[pastoral]]

+ * [[pastorate]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pasture]]

+ * [[repast]]

+ * [[pabulum]]

+ * [[food]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}