Where does “catholic” come from?
Catholic comes from Middle English catholik, from Old French catholique, from Latin catholicus, from Greek katholikos, meaning universal.
catholic (English): Universal; all-encompassing; Pertaining to all...
Definitions
- Universal; all-encompassing; Pertaining to all...
Ancestry of “catholic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | catholique | — |
| 2 | Latin | catholicus | catholic; pertaining to all kinds of people and... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | καθολικός | general |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κατά | |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | καταστερίζω | to place among the stars; I put among the stars |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἀστήρ | a celestial body; illustrious person; starfish |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | astḗr | star |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂stḗr | star |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eHs- | to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth |