Where does “churchmouse” come from?
churchmouse (English) comes from English church, from Middle English chirche, from Old English ċiriċe, from Proto-West Germanic kirikā, from Ancient Greek κυριακόν, from Ancient Greek Κύριος, from Proto-Hellenic *kúrios — lord, master.
churchmouse (English): A mouse living in a church; used in similes to...
Definitions
- A mouse living in a church; used in similes to...
Ancestry of “churchmouse”, step by step
churchmouse traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English church
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | church | A Christian house of worship; a building where... |
| 2 | Middle English | chirche | church, cathedral; temple, synagogue; clergy,... |
| 3 | Old English | ċiriċe | church |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | kirikā | church |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | κυριακόν | church |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Κύριος | Lord |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | *kúrios | lord, master |