protoparens

protoparens [protos < πρῶτος+CL parens] 1 first parent (w. ref. to Adam or Eve). in ficu, cujus foliis ~entes nostri ‥ sua pudenda texerunt Bede Ep. Cath. 29; 887 qui Adam, ~entem nostrum ‥, decepit (Syn. Landav.) Conc. I 198a (= Lib. Landav. 214); qui esu interdictae arboris letalis pomi in ~ente justi funeris sententia multati sumus Egb. Pont. 115; costa Adae ~entis materia Eve Ps.-Gros. Summa 304; c1430 post prime prevaricationis piaculum in prothoparentis posteros propagaliter derivatum Amund. I 280. 2 (transf.): a first or foremost parent (w. ref. to St. Augustine of Canterbury and his mission); b (w. ref. to head of religious order). a caeteri quoque filii qui ~entes ecclesiastici sunt Angliae accumbunt sicut novellae olivarum in circuitu mensae suae [sc. S. Augustini] Gosc. Aug. Maj. 92D; post antiqua evangelici ~entis Anglorum Augustini solemnia caelo triumphata Id. Transl. Aug. 15A; ab evangelici ‥ ~entis nostri Augustini ‥ adventu Lib. Eli. II 53; hec [sc. ecclesia S. Pancratii] est prima ecclesia a nostro in Christo ~ente et pontifice dedicata Elmh. Cant. 80.  b a1440 venerabili Brigittini ordinis prothoparenti in Suecia Reg. Whet. II 399.