présbýs

présbýs "Vorausgehender (Führer)"

The first component of the word is likely from Proto-Indo-European *pres (“before, in front”), an extended form of *per-. The second component is debated:

From Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws (“cattle”), thus "one who leads cattle".
From Proto-Indo-European *gʷew-, a variant of *gʷem- (“to go”), thus "one who goes in front". Compare Sanskrit पुरोगव (purogava, “leader”), from पुरस् (puras, “in front”) and गम् (gam, “to go”).
Together with the first component, from Proto-Indo-European *pre(y)sgʷu-, and cognate with Old Armenian երէց (erēcʻ, “elder, senior”) and Latin priscus (“ancient”), pristinus (“primitive, pristine”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /préz.bys/ → /ˈprez.βys/ → /ˈprez.vis/

Adjective

πρέσβῠς • (présbŭs) m (feminine πρέσβειᾰ, neuter πρέσβῠ); first/third declension

elderly, aged