Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “archangel” come from?

Archangel comes from Middle English archangel, from Old French archangele, from Latin archangelus, from Ancient Greek ἀρχάγγελος, combining ἀρχός (chief) and ἄγγελος (messenger).

archangel (English): A powerful angel that leads many other angels,...

Definitions

  1. A powerful angel that leads many other angels,...

Ancestry of “archangel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englisharchangel—
2Old Frencharchangelearchangel
3Latinarchangelusan archangel
4Ancient Greekἀρχάγγελοςarchangel
5Ancient Greekἄγγελοςa messenger; one that announces; angel, heavenly...
6Old Norseengillangel
7Old Saxonengilangel
8Proto-West Germanicangilangel
9Latinangelusangel; messenger
Every word from Latin angelus →