Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ministry” come from?

Ministry derives from Middle English mynisterie, from Old French menistere, from Latin ministerium meaning service or office, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European men- meaning to project or jut out.

ministry (English): Government department, at the administrative...

Definitions

  1. Government department, at the administrative...

Ancestry of “ministry”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishmynisterieThe place held by a member of the clergy and its...
2Old Frenchmenistere—
3Latinministeriumministry; employment, ministration; service
4Latin-iumSuffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes...
5Latin-iusforming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter...
6Proto-Italic-jōsForms comparative adjectives
7Proto-Indo-European-yósCreates adjectives from noun or verb stems

Words derived from “ministry”

  • superministry
  • ministryship
  • megaministry
  • underministry
  • ministri
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yós →