Hegumenos

/hɛɡjʊˈmeːnɔs/ noun

Definition

An alternative Greek form of the title for a monastic superior or abbot in Orthodox Christianity, emphasizing the original Greek designation.

Etymology

This is the Latinized or transliterated Greek form hegumenos, preserving the original terminology used in Byzantine ecclesiastical texts before English adaptation.

Kelly Says

Byzantine monastery archives reveal that hegumenos was the primary term used in official ordinations and property documents, making it the ecclesiastical 'legal name' for monastic leadership across the medieval Mediterranean.

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