Where does “undersexton” come from?
undersexton (English) comes from English Sexton, from Old French segrestien, from Medieval Latin sacristanus, from Late Latin sacrista, from Latin sacer, from Proto-Indo-European sh₂krós, from Proto-Indo-European seh₂k- — sacred.
undersexton (English): A subordinate sexton
Definitions
- A subordinate sexton
Ancestry of “undersexton”, step by step
undersexton traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Sexton
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Sexton | A church official who looks after a church building and its graveyard and may act as a gravedigger and bell ringer |
| 2 | Old French | segrestien | — |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | sacristanus | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | sacrista | sexton; sacristan, vestryman |
| 5 | Latin | sacer | sacred, holy, dedicated (to a divinity), consecrated, hallowed |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sh₂krós | sacred |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂k- | sacred |