priest
/priːst/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
presbyteros — elder
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person whose office is to perform religious rites and ceremonies, specifically as an intermediary between human beings and a deity.
- A member of the clergy in certain churches, ranking below a bishop.
Literal older meaning
An elder or senior person.
Language path
Ancient Greek → Vulgar Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
prest
Earliest period
12. yüzyıl
Journey
The term derives from the Greek 'presbyteros', which simply meant 'elder'. As the early Christian church organized, the title was given to those serving as community leaders, eventually evolving into a distinct religious office by the Medieval period.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
presbyteros
“elder”
Comparative form of presbys (old).
- Ecclesiastical Latin
presbyter
“elder, church official”
Adopted into Christian vocabulary.
- Old French
prestre
“priest”
Contracted form of Latin presbyter.
- Middle English
prest
“priest”
Direct loan from Old French.
Connections
Word parts
priest
root
religious functionary
Related across languages
French
prêtre
priest
Italian
prete
priest
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.