Referendary

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A high-ranking official in medieval or early modern governments who served as a secretary, keeper of records, or administrator handling important state documents and correspondence
2. An official of historical governments tasked with maintaining important documents and correspondence while also acting as a secretary or administrative authority
3. A position within ancient governance that involved oversight of vital records and state documents, often serving as a primary secretary or administrative figure

Etymology: "Referendary" comes from Latin "referendarius," a formation built on "referendus," the gerundive of "referre," meaning "to be referred." The Latin verb "referre" means "to carry back" or "to bring back," and its gerundive carries the sense of something that must be brought back or handed up for a decision. A "referendarius" was therefore a person to whom matters were referred, an official who carried papers and reports back to a superior or to the ruler. The word passed into English from the same Latin base as the French "référendaire," which shares the sense of a court official entrusted with documents. The English form thus preserves the idea of the office as a channel: the holder took in petitions and records and sent them onward, which is why the post came to be associated with handling state papers rather than with making decisions.

Synonyms: referendum agent