proxenos means A citizen of a state appointed by another state to host its ambassadors and to represent and protect its interests there. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.
proxenos is pronounced /ˈpɹɑksɪnɒs/.
Why “proxenos” is a great word
PROXENOS — [Noun] A citizen appointed by a foreign state to host its ambassadors and to represent and protect its interests within his own city-state. From Ancient Greek πρόξενος (próxenos, "public guest"), from πρό (pró, "before, on behalf of") + ξένος (xénos, "guest, stranger"). Unlike an ambassador, who is a citizen sent abroad, or a consul, a modern official with legal jurisdiction, a proxenos was a local insider bound by the sacred codes of hospitality to an outsider power. He was the influential host securing lodging for weary envoys, the discreet facilitator of negotiations in his own courtyard, and the respected voice pleading a foreign city's case before his own assembly—a human bridge across political estrangement, built not of stone but of personal honor and fragile, institutionalized goodwill.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek πρόξενος (próxenos, “public guest”), from πρό (pró, “before (in preference)”) (whence English pro-) + ξένος (xénos, “recipient of hospitality”, “guest”, “stranger”) (whence English xen-, -xeny); compare proxenus; unrelated to either Latin proximus, English proxy, or their derivations.
noun
- A citizen of a state appointed by another state to host its ambassadors and to represent and protect its interests there.