Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “clerkling” come from?

clerkling (English) comes from English clerk, from Middle English clerc, from Old English clerc, from Latin clēricus, from Ancient Greek κληρικός, from Ancient Greek -ικός, from Ancient Greek -κός, from Proto-Indo-European -ḱos — -y, -ic.

clerkling (English): A young or insignificant clerk

Definitions

  1. A young or insignificant clerk

Ancestry of “clerkling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishclerkOne who occupationally works with records,...
2Middle Englishclerca clergyman, usually in Christianity
3Old Englishclercclergyman, clerk
4Latinclēricus—
5Ancient Greekκληρικόςof or pertaining to clergy; clerical; clergyman
6Ancient Greek-ικόςof or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic
7Ancient Greek-κόςforms adjectives with the sense of 'of or...
8Proto-Indo-European-ḱos-y, -ic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -ḱos →