Where does “klærk” come from?
klærk (Old Danish) comes from Old Norse klerkr, from Old English clerc, from Latin clēricus, from Ancient Greek κληρικός, from Ancient Greek -ικός, from Ancient Greek -κός, from Proto-Indo-European -ḱos — -y, -ic.
Ancestry of “klærk”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | klerkr | — |
| 2 | Old English | clerc | clergyman, clerk |
| 3 | Latin | clēricus | a priest, clergyman or clergywoman, cleric |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κληρικός | of or pertaining to clergy; clerical; clergyman |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |