Where does “heresy” come from?
Heresy comes from Old French heresie, from Latin haeresis, from Ancient Greek αἵρεσις (hairesis, "choice" or "school of thought"), derived from the verb αἱρέω (hairéō, "to choose" or "to take").
heresy (English): A doctrine held by a member of a religion at...
Definitions
- A doctrine held by a member of a religion at...
Ancestry of “heresy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | heresie | Alternative form of iresie |
| 2 | Latin | haeresis | sect; heresy |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | αἵρεσις | taking, receiving; a choice, selection; a purpose |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | αἱρέω | to take, grasp, seize; to win, gain; to convict,... |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | həřřéyō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sēr- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |
Words derived from “heresy”