Where does “churchwardeness” come from?
churchwardeness (English) comes from English churchwarden, from English warden, from Middle English wardein, from Anglo-Norman wardein, from Old French warder, from Old French guarder, from Frankish wardēn, from Proto-Germanic wardāną — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
churchwardeness (English): A female churchwarden
Definitions
- A female churchwarden
Ancestry of “churchwardeness”, step by step
churchwardeness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English churchwarden
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | churchwarden | A lay officer of the Church of England who... |
| 2 | English | warden | A guard or watchman; A chief administrative... |
| 3 | Middle English | wardein | a warden |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | wardein | protector; guard; guardian |
| 5 | Old French | warder | Alternative form of guarder |
| 6 | Old French | guarder | to protect; to guard; to look at |
| 7 | Frankish | wardēn | to protect; to guard, protect, watch over; to... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | wardāną | to guard, protect, watch over |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | *warduz | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |