Where does “kristen” come from?
kristen (Middle High German) comes from Old High German kristāni, from Latin Christiānus, from Latin Chrīstus, from Ancient Greek Χριστός, from Ancient Greek χρίω, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrēy-, from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- — to rub; to stroke; to grind.
Ancestry of “kristen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | kristāni | — |
| 2 | Latin | Christiānus | Christian |
| 3 | Latin | Chrīstus | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Χριστός | anointed; messiah; annointed, the annointed one,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | χρίω | to rub or smear (especially the body) with oil or unguents; to anoint |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrēy- | to smear; to paint, streak, smear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰer- | to rub; to stroke; to grind |