famulus
- noun
- /ˈfæmjələs/
- Archaic
- As a famulus, he assisted the magician in performing elaborate tricks.
Examples
-
I have warned my famulus to note how stars on their progress confer blessings.
Fiction book (1991) -
Skord's next encounter with the written word takes place when an exiled and lonely priest, Ragvald, adopts him as his famulus because the young troll is able to mimic anything he hears, including complex passages from Latin and Italian.
Academic text (1998) -
The scholar's famulus diligently organized the books in the library.
-
The famous artist was often accompanied by his loyal famulus, who helped with his daily tasks.
Synonyms
A young person who helps at formal ceremonies
A person who is present at a meeting or event
A person who loyally helps and supports an important leader
A man who cares for a person's clothes and personal needs in a house or court
A servant who attends an important person, often in the past
How Close
- Archaic
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word famulus comes from Latin and originally meant 'servant' or 'attendant', like a helper in someone's household and related to the idea behind family. So, a famulus is a close, personal helper who assists a scholar or magician.