Where does “clergy” come from?
Clergy derives from Middle English clergie, from Old French clergié, from Late Latin clericatus, from Latin clericus meaning priest or cleric, from Ancient Greek κληρικός, from Ancient Greek κλῆρος meaning lot or inheritance, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kola-.
clergy (English): Body of persons, such as ministers, sheiks,...
Definitions
- Body of persons, such as ministers, sheiks,...
Ancestry of “clergy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | clergie | — |
| 2 | Old French | clergié | learned men |
| 3 | Latin | clēricātus | — |
| 4 | Latin | clēricus | a priest, clergyman or clergywoman, cleric |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | κληρικός | of or pertaining to clergy; clerical; clergyman |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |