Kum
The best man or godfather of Slavic, Romanian and Balkan weddings, a lifelong sponsor of the couple.
Also: kuma, kumovi, nasi
Kum, with the feminine kuma, is the South Slavic word for the wedding sponsor, who in the Orthodox and Catholic churches of the Balkans stands as best man, holds the crowns and often baptises the couple's children. In Serbian, Croatian and Bulgarian weddings the kum has a chief role at the table and in the procession, and the bond between families is for life. Romanians say nas and nasa, plural nasi. The relation is related to the Greek koumbaros, and to the Italian compare.
Region: Europe