Paranymph
Paranymph
(Paranymph)
Noun:
-A bridesmaid or best man.
-A friend who accompanied the bridegroom when he went to bring home the bride.
-The bridesmaid who escorted the bride to the bridegroom.From 1585-95;
Late Latin paranymphus - Greek paránymphos (masculine and feminine) groomsman, bridesmaid, literally, person beside the bride.
Used in a sentence:
"The dress she'd chosen for her paranymph was so gaudy, the poor lass looked like a flamfoo!"
A paranymph is the Best Man, a Groomsman or a Bridesmaid at a wedding. This title originated in ancient Greece as a friend who accompanied the bridegroom when he went to bring home the bride. A very high honor indeed! There are many wedding traditions that have developed over the millennia, some of which are perhaps a bit strange (shoving cake in the face of your beloved...?!), but the paranymph still stands right there with the bride and groom!
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