Where does “church” come from?
Church comes from Middle English chirche, from Old English ċiriċe, from Proto-West Germanic kirikā, from Ancient Greek κυριακόν, derived from κυριακός and κύριος meaning lord or master, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱēw-.
church (English): A Christian house of worship; a building where...
Definitions
- A Christian house of worship; a building where...
Ancestry of “church”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | chirche | church, cathedral; temple, synagogue; clergy,... |
| 2 | Old English | ċiriċe | church |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | kirikā | church |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κυριακόν | church |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Κύριος | Lord |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | *kúrios | — |
Words derived from “church”