church
/tʃɜːrtʃ/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
kyriakon — belonging to the Lord
Overview
Meaning Now
- A building used for public Christian worship.
- The body of all Christians; a particular denomination or organized group of believers.
Literal older meaning
that which belongs to the Lord
Language path
Ancient Greek → Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
cirice
Earliest period
Old English period (c. 8th century)
Journey
The word entered Germanic languages through early Christian contact, distinct from the Latin-derived 'ecclesia' found in Romance languages. It emphasizes the concept of a house owned by the Lord rather than an assembly of people.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
kyriakon
“Lord's house”
Adjective form derived from kyrios (Lord).
- Proto-Germanic
*kirikō
“church”
Borrowed into West Germanic languages.
- Old English
cirice
“church”
- Middle English
chirche
“church”
- Modern English
church
“church”
Connections
Word parts
church
root
building or congregation for worship
Related across languages
German
Kirche
church
Dutch
kerk
church
Scottish
kirk
church
Explore next
Related to church
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.