parson

parson
\ \ [13] Parson and person started off as the same word (both come from Latin persōna) but split into two. It is not altogether clear why parson came to be used for a ‘priest’. It may simply have been a specialized application of an extended post-classical sense of Latin persōna, ‘person of rank, important person, personage’ – hence ‘person of high position within the church’. But it has also been speculated that it originated in the notion of the priest as the ‘person’ who legally embodied the parish (who could for example sue or be sued on behalf of the parish).
\ \ Cf.PERSON

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Parson — Par son, n. [OE. persone person, parson, OF. persone, F. personne person, LL. persona (sc. ecclesiae), fr. L. persona a person. See {Person}.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Eng. Eccl. Law) A person who represents a parish in its ecclesiastical and corporate …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • parson — (n.) late 12c., from Anglo French and O.Fr. persone curate, parson (12c.), from M.L. persona parson (see PERSON (Cf. person)). Ecclesiastical use obscure, may refer to the person legally holding church property, or it may be an abbreviation of… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Parson, — Parson, Parsons Fréquent en Grande Bretagne, le nom désigne un dignitaire ecclésiastique, un prêtre (du latin persona). La forme génitive (Parsons) pourrait signifier domestique du prêtre . Le nom Parson se rencontre aussi en Gascogne, où il… …   Noms de famille

  • parson — has a general informal meaning in current English, denoting a member of the clergy up to the level of rector. It was once a more formal term for a holder of a parochial benefice but the meaning broadened considerably from the 16c onward …   Modern English usage

  • parson — [n] cleric chaplain, churchman/woman, clergyman/woman, ecclesiastic, minister, padre, pastor, preacher, priest, rector, reverend, vicar; concept 361 …   New thesaurus

  • parson — ► NOUN 1) (in the Church of England) a parish priest. 2) informal any clergyman. ORIGIN Latin persona person , later rector …   English terms dictionary

  • parson — [pär′sən] n. [ME persone < OFr < ML persona, a beneficed priest, orig., person < L: see PERSON] 1. an Anglican minister in charge of a parish; rector 2. Informal any minister; pastor …   English World dictionary

  • Pärson — Anja Pärson Nation …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Parson — In the pre Reformation church, a parson was the priest of an independent parish church, that is, a parish church not under the control of a larger ecclesiastical or monastic organisation. The term is similar to rector and is in contrast to a… …   Wikipedia

  • Parson — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Anja Pärson, née en 1981, kieuse alpine suédoise. Parson Russell terrier : une race de chiens Alfred Lauck Parson (1889 1970), chimiste et physicien… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • parson —    A parson is technically a priest in charge of a parish, but the word is loosely used of any clergyman. As a term of address, ‘parson’ is found in, e.g., eighteenth century novels such as Fielding’s Tom Jones, and in later dialectal use. ‘Is… …   A dictionary of epithets and terms of address

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