Ancient Greek edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Originally "one who leads cattle" from Proto-Indo-European *pres (before), extended form of *per-, + *gʷṓws (cattle). Compare Sanskrit पुरोगव (purogava, leader), from पुरस् (puras, in front) and गव (gava, cow, cattle). But Beekes (1232) discusses several other proposed etymologies.

Pronunciation edit

 

Adjective edit

πρέσβῠς (présbusm (feminine πρέσβειᾰ, neuter πρέσβῠ); first/third declension

  1. elderly, aged

Declension edit

Noun edit

πρέσβῠς (présbusm (genitive πρέσβεως); third declension

  1. old man
  2. elder, chief, prince
  3. (superlative) revered, honored
  4. ambassador
  5. (at Sparta) a political title, higher than γέρων (gérōn, senator): chief, president
    • Inscriptiones Laconiae 1237, 1326
  6. a name of the τρόχιλος (trókhilos, wren)
  7. a type of daw or chough

Usage notes edit

For the feminine, see πρέσβᾰ (présba), πρέσβειρᾰ (présbeira), πρεσβηῐ́ς (presbēís).

Inflection edit

Synonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Further reading edit

Greek edit

Noun edit

πρέσβυς (présvysm (plural πρέσβεις, feminine πρέσβειρα)

  1. Katharevousa form of πρέσβης (présvis, ambassador)

Related terms edit