Forms of pref.: 1 ærce-, erce-, 1–5 arce-, 2–4 erche-, 3 ærche, 2–6 arche-, 4 erch-, erse-, arz-, 4–5 ers-, 5 ars-, 4– arch-. See forms of BISHOP. [ad. L. archiepiscop-um in its Romanic form *arcebiscobo; or perhaps rather a substitution of the prefix of this for héah in the earlier OE. equivalent héah-biscop ‘high-bishop.’ The southern form in ME. was erche- :—OE. ęrce-; erse-, ers-, ars-, arz-, were northern.] The chief bishop; the highest dignitary in an episcopal church, superintending the bishops of his province; a metropolitan.

1

c. 885.  K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past., Pref. 6. Æt Pleʓmunde minum ærcebiscepe.

2

994.  O. E. Chron. Her forðferde Siʓeric arcebiscop.

3

a. 1067.  Charter, in Cod. Dip., IV. 208. Eadweard cyng gret Stigand ercebiscop.

4

c. 1175.  Cotton Hom., 237. Archebiscopes, and biscopes, prestes.

5

c. 1205.  Lay., 24459. Þe archebiscop of Lundene.

6

1297.  R. Glouc., 367. Erchebyssop of Euerwyk.

7

c. 1325.  Metr. Hom., 86. Sa sorful was this erzbischop.

8

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron., 73. Elred þe archbisshop of Ȝork.

9

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Friar’s T., 202. As to therchebisschop [v.r. þe erchbisshope] seynt Dunstan.

10

c. 1405.  Lay Folks’ Mass-Bk., 64. For al ercebischops.

11

c. 1450.  Nominale, in Wright, Voc., 209. Hic archyepiscopus, an ersbychope.

12

1480.  Caxton, Chron. Engl., 258. Metropolitanes and archebisshoppes.

13

1613.  Shaks., Hen. VIII., III. ii. 74. We shall see him For it, an Arch-byshop.

14

1782.  Priestley, Corrupt. Chr., II. x. 237. The term Archbishop was first used by Athanasius.

15

1884.  St. James’s Gaz., 4 Feb., 6/2. Planned nearly thirty years ago by the Philological Society at the suggestion of Archbishop Trench.

16

  b.  Used to translate Latin Pontifex maximus.

17

1600.  Holland, Livy, XXVIII. xxxviii. 697 d. P. Licinius Crassus the Archbishop.

18

  Hence deriv. [see -ESS, -HOOD, -LING, -LY1, -SHIP]:—Archbishopess (nonce-wd.), the wife of an archbishop. Archbishophood, Archbishopship, the rank or position of an archbishop. Archbishopling, a little archbishop. Archbishoply a., of or pertaining to an archbishop.

19

1781.  H. Walpole, Lett. C’tess Ossory, II. 72. She set me down to whist with … the Archbishopess of Canterbury.

20

c. 1449.  Pecock, Repr., IV. ii. 426. Bischophode and archibischophode.

21

1845.  Carlyle, Cromwell (1871), I. 255. There was little good to be got of his Archbishophood.

22

1851.  Sir F. Palgrave, Norm. & Eng., II. 191. The archbishopling, ‘Hugo Parvulus.’

23

1862.  All Y. Round, 10 May, 204. The disgrace of having his archbishoply orders countermanded.

24

1556.  Chron. Grey Friars (1852), 96. Desgradyd of hys leggatsheppe and of hys archebyshoppecheppe.

25