Pursuivant

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Pursuivant

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sun Sep 18, 2022 8:18 pm

• pursuivant •


Pronunciation: pêr-si-vênt, pêr-swi-vênt • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. (British) A rank below a herald, an assistant herald. (A herald is an officer who makes royal or state proclamations and carries messages between members of the royalty.) 2. A Grand Lodge guard of the inner entrance to a Masonic lodge. 3. (Archaic) A follower, attendant.

Notes: To distinguish the first meaning of this word, it is often extended as 'pursuivant at arms'. It may be used as a verb to indicate the occupation of a pursuivant in the first sense. Otherwise, it is a lexical orphan.

In Play: Today's word is used mostly in Britain. The vast majority of its uses are in reference to the British Royalty: "The duke was pleased with the news and gave the pursuivant at arms who brought it lavish gifts." High-ranking Church officials might also have pursuivants: "I noticed behind the Archbishop his pursuivant in a sable coat with a silver cross."

Word History: Today's Good Word was copied letter-for-letter from Old French, where it was the present participle of pursuivre "to follow". Old French had inherited it from Latin persequor "to follow, pursue" and materially modified in ways that are obvious. The Latin word comprises per-, a metathesized version of pre- "through, thorough" + sequor "to follow". Sequor was a Latin adaptation of PIE sekw-/sokw- "to follow", source also of Sanskrit sakate "follows", Lithuanian sekti "to follow", Latin secundus "second" (the following), Albanian shkoj "go", Latvian sekot "to follow", German suchen "to seek", English seek, and Icelandic sækja "fetch". (Gratitude is owed Bucknell emeritus professor of music, prolific composer and anglophile extraordinaire Jackson Hill for spotting and sharing today's eccentrically Good Word.)
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Slava
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Re: Pursuivant

Postby Slava » Mon Sep 19, 2022 11:22 am

Is this the source of the name Percival, the faithful follower of Arthur? Or at least the general meaning?
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Re: Pursuivant

Postby Debbymoge » Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:25 pm

I grew up hearing the phrase
"...pursuivant to that..."
Have I misheard it all these years?
Is it spelled differently?
Is it a colloquialism of the Northeast of the States?
Or could it have arrived with my English grandmother?

thanks for any clarification...
Debby M
I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.
Shakespear

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Slava
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Re: Pursuivant

Postby Slava » Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:56 pm

Perhaps the speaker meant "pursuant"? Which more or less means "then". It is usually followed by 'to'.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

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Re: Pursuivant

Postby Debbymoge » Tue Sep 20, 2022 4:58 pm

At the time (and this is not all in the past), it always seemed in context to refer to what went before, as in, building on that... or with that as the base/background...

I can't remember a specific instance to give you a full sentence. When less muddle headed, perhaps I can create one.

Persuant seemed more "then" or "following that".
In other words, I guess, more a time line relationship than a dependent one

Oh dear, that's not the right word. Doesn't hang on the previous, builds on the previous.

well, if any of you can straighten this out for me, please! feel free to do so.
I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.
Shakespear


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