pope

Orthodox priest

noun POP Rare

Origin: from Greek papas, father

Usage Note

Pope in French (not to be confused with pape, the Catholic Pope) specifically refers to a priest of the Eastern Orthodox or Russian Orthodox Church. It is a false friend for English speakers: the Catholic Pope in French is le pape. The word is borrowed through Russian pop.

Examples

"Le pope célébrait la messe en slavon."

Natural Translation

The Orthodox priest was celebrating the mass in Church Slavonic.

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