prytany

[Gr. prytaneia.] Greek Antiq.: The presidency at Athens; a period of 35 or 36 days, during which the prytanes of each phyle in turn presided in the Senate. The first six in the year consisted of 35, the last four of 36 days. pryth-eě, interj. [PRITHEE.] prz-i-brăm-ite (prz as pretz), s. [After Przibram, Bohemia; suff. -ite ( Min.).] Mineralogy : 1. A variety of Gothite (q. v.), found in stellate groups of acicular crystals, having a velvety surface. 2. A variety of Blende (q. v.) containing cadmium. Ps and pt are pronounced a and t. psăl-1-do-proc-në, s . [Gr. psalis (gen it. psali dos )=a pair of shears, and Prokne the daughter of Pandion, king of Athens. Ornith.: The typical genus of the sub-family Psalidoprocnine (q. v.), with ten species, from tropical and southern Africa. Book 5 leaves many psalms anonymous, attributing others to David. The Hebrew Bible, but not the Septuagint, a igns Psalm cxxvii. to Solomon. This volume contains the Songs of Degrees. The book was evidently brought together from many sources. It was commenced, rather than entirely composed, by David. Its composition and compilation extended over centuries. Psalm cxxxvii. speaks of the Babylonish captivity as an event recently gone by. Psalm xliv. and lxxix. seem very suitable to the time of the persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes (B. C. 168-165). If the Talmudic statement, discovered by Gratz, that the night service alluded to in Psalm cxxxiv. did not become part of the Jewish ritual till the time of Queen Alexandra (B. C. 79-70), it and perhaps others of the Songs of Degrees may be slightly more recent than that date. The book of Psalms is quoted or alluded to as an inspired composition by Our Savior and his Apostles at least seventy times; no Old Testament book is more frequently quoted. Its canonical authority has never been seriously doubted. It has become the psalter of the Christian Church. Its rhythmical form and careful parallelism (q. v.) (now rendered obvious by the R. V.) adapt it for the mus i cal part of public worship. [MESSIANIC.] psalm ( l silent), v. t. [PSALM, 8.] To sing, to celebrate in psalms. "Psalming his praise."-Sylvester: Handie - Crafts , 73. psalm-ist ( I silent), psal-mist, subst. [Latin psalmist a, from late Gr. psalm is tes, from psalmos = a psalm (q. v.); Fr. psalmiste; Sp. & Ital.salmista; Port. psalmist a, salmista.] 1. Ord. Lang .: A writer or composer of psalms; a title applied especially to the authors of the scriptural psalms, and specifically, with the definite article prefixed, to David. "She tuned to pious notes the psalmist's lyre." Hughes: On Divine Poetry. 2. Church Hist .: Singers in the early Church whose duty it was to lead the people. They were set apart for the office by a ceremony performed by a priest, who gave them this charge: "See that thou be lievest in thy heart what thou singest with thy lips; and manifest by thy actions what thou be lievest in thy heart." The Roman Catholic Church still retains this order as the leaders of music. psalm-is-try ( l silent), psăl-mis-try, subst. [Eng. psalmist ; -ry.] The act of singing psalms, psalmody; the use of psalms in devotion. ( Milton .) psăl-mod-Ic, *psal-mod-ic-al, a. [English psalmod (y); -ic, -ical .] Pertaining or relating to psalmody. ( Mason : Church Music , p. 170.) psammitic psalm-o-dist ( 1 silent), psăl-mo-dist, s . [Eng. psalmod(y); -ist .] A composer or singer of psalms or sacred songs; a psalmist. "The spirits and inflamed affections, and voices of psalmodists."-Hammond: Works, iv. 1.