prebend
- noun
- /ˈprɛbɛnd/
- Archaic
:
prebenda
- Historically, a prebend was a common source of income for clergy within the church.
Examples
-
Recall that you receive no mark of office, no prebend, and no support at all from the Church.
Fiction book (1992) -
In certain respects, the contemporary Chinese clientelist network is redolent of the medieval European prebend, whereby the Church granted its local clergy the right to share in the revenues derived from operating a particular cathedral.
Academic text (2014) -
Since independence in 1958, Guinean leaders have used jobs and special privileges (prebends) to reward loyal followers, thereby profiting from the civic public.
Academic text (1998) -
The canon received a generous prebend from the cathedral as part of his income.
-
Many canons rely on their prebend to support their living expenses.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Prebend comes from Medieval Latin praebenda, meaning 'something given', and from the Latin verb praebēre, 'to give', which is made from parts that mean 'before' and 'to hold'. So a prebend was originally a regular gift or allowance given to a church official, and that is why it now means a clergy stipend.
