Where does “sacristan” come from?
Sacristan comes from French sacristain, from Latin sacrista, derived from Latin sacer meaning sacred, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European seh₂k-.
sacristan (English): The person who maintains the sacristy and the...
Definitions
- The person who maintains the sacristy and the...
Ancestry of “sacristan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | sacristain | sexton |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | sacristanus | — |
| 3 | Late Latin | sacrista | sexton; sacristan, vestryman |
| 4 | Latin | sacer | sacred, holy, dedicated (to a divinity), consecrated, hallowed |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sh₂krós | sacred |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂k- | sacred |