satrapn.

Etymology: < classical Latin satrapa, satrapēs (in post-classical Latin also satrapas (11th cent. or earlier; rare)) Persian provincial governor, in post-classical Latin also anachronistically attributed to the Babylonian empire (Vulgate), lord of the Philistines (Vulgate), nobleman (frequently from 8th cent. in British sources), military officer (from 10th cent. in British sources), church leader (14th cent. in British sources) < ancient Greek σατράπης (also ἐξατράπης and *ἐξαιθράπης , the latter implied in the derivative ἐξαιθραπεύειν to be a satrap) Persian provincial governor, rich man, in Hellenistic Greek also lord of the Philistines (Septuagint), Roman governor < Old Iranian *xšaθrapā , lit. ‘protector of the country’ (reflected by Old Persian xšaçapāvan ) < an Iranian base cognate with Sanskrit kṣatra (see Kshatriya n.) + the Iranian base of Old Persian pā- to protect ( < the same Indo-European base as classical Latin pāscere to pasture, feed: see pascent adj.); compare (similarly-formed, but suffixed) Sanskrit kṣatrapati.Compare Middle French, French satrape Persian provincial governor (1357), rich and powerful man (1389), Old Occitan satrapas (c1470), Spanish satrapa (late 13th cent.), Portuguese sátrapa (c1560), Italian satrapo (a1498). In some Old Testament uses (compare e.g. quots. c1384 and 1885), the Latin and (hence) English words are often used to translate Hebrew 'ăḥašdarpĕnīm , plural (Ezra, Esther) and Aramaic 'ăḥašdarpĕnīn , plural (Daniel), both < an Old Iranian language. Sense 2 seems to have arisen within English, based on uncertainty about the function of a satrap, as illustrated by the variant readings given in the following: ▸ a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) 1 Esdras viii. 36 Thei ȝeuen..maundemens of the king to the satrapis [L.V. a1425 Royal princes, c1450 Bodl. 277 wise men], that weren of the siȝte of the king.