Kathanar () is an ancient
Nasrani Mappila term in
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
that means ''priest''. The term is still in colloquial usage, although not in regular formal use. It was anglicized in archaic English texts as ''Cattanar'' or ''Kattanar'', especially during 19th century CE or earlier.
Due to the widespread usage of
English terminology such as
Father
A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. A biological fat ...
,
Reverend
The Reverend (abbreviated as The Revd, The Rev'd or The Rev) is an honorific style (form of address), style given to certain (primarily Western Christian, Western) Christian clergy and Christian minister, ministers. There are sometimes differen ...
,
Vicar
A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...
or the Malayalam word ''Achen'' () or the
Syriac word
Kasseessa (), it mostly fell out of usage in contemporary formal contexts, but recently found a revival among Nasrani Mappilas.
Notable Kathanars
*
Kadavil Chandy Kathanar
*
Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar
*
Kadamattathu Kathanar
Kadamattathu Kathanar was a '' kathanar'' (priest) who, according to legends, possessed magical powers. He was an ordained deacon of Kadamattom Church in the 9th century, originally affiliated to the Syriac Orthodox Church in India, in Kada ...
*
Nidhiry Mani Kathanar
*
Payyappilly Varghese Kathanar
*
Rev. George Mathan a.k.a. Geevarghese Kathanar
*
Anchal Achan a.k.a. Younan Kathanar
*
Iype Thoma Kathanar aka Kovoor Achen
*
Dethose Kathanar, who later became Titus I Mar Thoma Metropolitan
*
Anjilimoottil Itty Thommen Kathanar
*
Malpan Malpane Koonammakkal Thoma Kathanar
See also
*
Ecclesiastical Address
*
Kalliyankattu neeli
References
{{reflist
Christian priests
Malayalam terms
Syriac Christianity