Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “acolyte” come from?

Acolyte comes from Old French acolyt, from Ancient Greek ἀκόλουθος meaning "follower" or "attendant," derived from the Proto-Indo-European root kel- meaning "to go" or "move."

acolyte (English): One who has received the highest of the four...

Definitions

  1. One who has received the highest of the four...

Ancestry of “acolyte”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchacolyt—
2Ecclesiastical Latinacolytus—
3Ancient Greekἀκόλουθοςfollowing, attending
4Ancient Greekἀ-The alpha privativum, used to make words that...
5Proto-Hellenichə-same; together
6Proto-Indo-Europeansm̥-one; with, together
7Proto-Indo-Europeansem-together, one

Words derived from “acolyte”

  • colet
  • acolyteship
  • acolytate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sem- →