Where does “church crawler” come from?

church crawler (English) comes from English crawler, from English crawl, from Middle English crawlen, from Old Norse krafla, from Proto-Germanic krablōną, from Proto-Germanic krabbōną, from Proto-Indo-European gerbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European ger- — to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

church crawler (English): A person who is strongly interested, in an amateur capacity, in ecclesiology, church architecture, history and church art, and visits churches in order to view the buildings for themselves, as opposed to visiting them for religious reasons

Definitions

  1. A person who is strongly interested, in an amateur capacity, in ecclesiology, church architecture, history and church art, and visits churches in order to view the buildings for themselves, as opposed to visiting them for religious reasons

Ancestry of “church crawler”, step by step

church crawler traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English crawler

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcrawlerA child who is able to creep using its hands and...
2EnglishcrawlTo creep; to move slowly on hands and knees, or...
3Middle Englishcrawlento crawl
4Old Norsekrafla
5Proto-Germanickrablōną
6Proto-Germanickrabbōnąto scratch, scrape
7Proto-Indo-Europeangerbʰ-to carve
8Proto-Indo-Europeanger-to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

via English church

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishchurchA Christian house of worship; a building where...
2Middle Englishchirchechurch, cathedral; temple, synagogue; clergy,...
3Old Englishċiriċechurch
4Proto-West Germanickirikāchurch
5Ancient Greekκυριακόνchurch
6Ancient GreekΚύριοςLord
7Proto-Hellenic*kúrioslord, master
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ger-Every word from Proto-Indo-European gerbʰ-Every word from Proto-Germanic krabbōną