Forms of pref.: 1–5 arce-, 1–4 erce-, 4 ers-, erse-, erres-, erche-, 4–5 archi-, 5 ars-, 5–7 arche-, 4– arch-. See forms of DEACON. [OE. arce-, ęrce-diacon, ad. L. archidiācon-us (c. 420 Jerome), a. Gr. ἀρχιδιᾱκονος; see ARCHI- 1 and DEACON. Cf. OF. arc(h)ediacne 12th c., later archediacre.]
The chief deacon; orig. the chief of the attendants on a bishop, who, through the scope of his duties in relation to the services of the church and the administration of charity, gradually acquired a rank above the priests and next in importance to the bishop. In Eng. Ch. the archdeacon is appointed by, and gives assistance to, the bishop, superintending the rural deans, and holding the lowest ecclesiastical court, with the power of spiritual censure.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gl. (Z.), 299. Archidiaconus, ercediacon [v.r. arce-].
1297. R. Glouc., 463. Ercedekne of Kanterbury Sein Tomas tho was.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Freres T., 2. An erchedeken, a man of gret degré.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. xviii. 102. Noo bischop or archideken.
1577. Harrison, England, I. II. i. 17. Which archdeacons are termed in law the bishops eies.
1704. Nelson, Fest. & Fasts, II. iii. (1739), 474. Where the Bishops had many Deacons, one among them had the Title of Arch-Deacon.
1881. Hatch, Bampton Lect., ii. 53. [The] archdeacon … was conceived to be, in an especial sense, the bishop’s assistant in ecclesiastical administration.
Hence the derivatives [see -ATE, -ESS, -SHIP]:—Archdeaconate (L. archidiāconātus), the position of archdeacon; archidiaconate. Archdeaconess, the wife of an archdeacon. Archdeaconship, the office of archdeacon.
1882. Schaff, Herzog’s Encycl. Rel. Knowl., I. 128. The archdeaconates were generally held by the provost of the cathedral and the canons.
1861. Wheat & Tares, 50. ‘Excellent,’ cried the Archdeaconess.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Arcedianadgo, an archedeaconship, Archidiacomatus.
1755. Johnson, Archdeaconship.
