| Front | paranymph \PAIR-uh-nimf\ |
|---|---|
| Back | noun 1. A friend going with a bridegroom to fetch home the bride in ancient Greece; also: the bridesmaid conducting the bride to the bridegroom. 2. a) Best man b) Bridesmaid. "The bride and groom, accompanied by their paranymphs, stood before the officiating clergy." ["Paranymph" resulted from the marriage of the Greek prefix "para-" and the Greek word for bride, "nymphe." The prefix "para-" can mean "beside" or "alongside of," as is apparent in the word "parallel," from the Greek word "parallelos," a union of "para-" and the word "allenon," meaning "of one another." At one time, the word "paranymph" also was used for a person who solicits or speaks for another -- that is, an advocate -- but that sense is now very rare.] |
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