prothonotary

• protonotary

From Middle English prothonotarie, from Medieval Latin prothonotarius, from Late Latin protonotarius, from Ancient Greek πρῶτος (prôtos) + Latin notarius (“secretary”)

prothonotary (plural prothonotaries)

1. A chief clerk of one of various courts of law.
   • Herrick

     Can I not sin, but thou wilt be / My private prothonotary?

2. The chief secretary of the patriarch of Constantinople.
3. One who had the charge of writing the acts of the martyrs, and the circumstances of their death.
4. One of twelve persons, constituting a college in the Roman Curia, whose office is to register pontifical acts and to make and preserve the official record of beatifications.

• prothonotary warbler