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DictionaryRoot: diakonos
Greek

diakonos

servant; church official

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A senior cleric coordinates two junior clergy beside a bishop, making the archdeacon's intermediate supervisory role visible through a clear chain of attention and action.
noun

archdeacon

arch-DEE-kun/ˌɑːrtʃˈdiːkən/

A senior church official who assists a bishop and supervises clergy.

Etymology
archGreekchief, leading, or highest
+deaconGreekservant; church official

The pieces mean “chief deacon,” with deacon originally meaning a servant or church attendant. The title identifies a senior official charged with oversight of part of a bishop’s diocese.

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