Where does “archangel” come from?
archangel (Middle English) comes from Old French archangele, from Latin archangelus, from Ancient Greek ἀρχάγγελος, from Ancient Greek ἄγγελος, from Old Norse engill, from Old Saxon engil, from Proto-West Germanic angil, from Latin angelus — angel; messenger.
Ancestry of “archangel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | archangele | archangel |
| 2 | Latin | archangelus | an archangel |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἀρχάγγελος | archangel |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἄγγελος | a messenger; one that announces; angel, heavenly... |
| 5 | Old Norse | engill | angel |
| 6 | Old Saxon | engil | angel |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | angil | angel |
| 8 | Latin | angelus | angel; messenger |