Where does “Sexton” come from?
Sexton (English) comes from Old French segrestien, from Medieval Latin sacristanus, from Late Latin sacrista, from Latin sacer, from Proto-Indo-European sh₂krós, from Proto-Indo-European seh₂k- — sacred.
Sexton (English): A church official who looks after a church building and its graveyard and may act as a gravedigger and bell ringer
Definitions
- A church official who looks after a church building and its graveyard and may act as a gravedigger and bell ringer
Ancestry of “Sexton”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | segrestien | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | sacristanus | — |
| 3 | Late Latin | sacrista | sexton; sacristan, vestryman |
| 4 | Latin | sacer | sacred, holy, dedicated (to a divinity), consecrated, hallowed |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sh₂krós | sacred |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂k- | sacred |