Where does “clergyman” come from?
Clergyman combines English clergy (from Latin clericus, from Ancient Greek κληρικός, from κλῆρος meaning "lot" or "inheritance," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kald-) with English man (from Middle English man, from Middle English mon).
clergyman (English): An ordained Christian minister, a male member of...
Definitions
- An ordained Christian minister, a male member of...
Ancestry of “clergyman”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | clergy | Body of persons, such as ministers, sheiks,... |
| 2 | Middle English | clergie | — |
| 3 | Old French | clergié | learned men |
| 4 | Latin | clēricātus | — |
| 5 | Latin | clēricus | a priest, clergyman or clergywoman, cleric |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | κληρικός | of or pertaining to clergy; clerical; clergyman |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |