Diakonos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. One who serves or ministers in a specific capacity within a religious context
2. A person designated to assist in the administration or practical functions of a church or ministry
3. An individual fulfilling a role of service, particularly in a Christian church, often engaged in charitable work

Etymology: Greek "diakonos" meant "servant" or "attendant" long before it meant anything religious. Its earliest traceable sense was a household or messenger servant, and in the Greek of the New Testament it was used broadly for anyone who served others. From it came the church office of deacon, and English took the term through Latin "diaconus" and Old English "diacon," with the Latin form itself a transliteration of the Greek. The word's sense in English is narrower than its Greek ancestor. Where "diakonos" could describe a waiter or a go-between, the Christian sense settled on a specific ministry of service below the priesthood. Deacons in many churches handle charity, read the Gospel at services, and assist at the altar, which keeps the original idea of attending to others while fixing it inside church structure.

Synonyms: deacon, minister, servant, attendant, clergyman