clergé

Forms

clergé m (plural clergés)^[1] Old French clergié, plural clergiez.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French clergié, inherited from Ecclesiastical Latin clēricātus (“state of a cleric, body of clerics”), derived from clēricus (“cleric”).^{[2][5][3][6][7]} The collective sense “body of clerics” is recorded in Latin in 1056.^[2][4] Its ⟨g⟩ spread to other words of the family of clerc: clerçon became clergeon, and clergie “learning, clerical status” was formed on that noun with the same ⟨g⟩.^[4]

Cognate with Italian chiericato.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Oxford Psalter, in the early 12th century, has the plural clergiez.^[2] The Grand Robert, GLLF and Petit Robert date clergié to the 10th century, the Vie de saint Léger.^[3][8][9]

Semantic evolution

The word came into French with the Latin collective sense, the whole body of clerics.^[4] Littré quotes Villehardouin's li evesque et tous li clergiés (13th century).^[6] Under the old monarchy the clergy was the first of the three orders of the kingdom.^[6] Usage distinguishes clergé séculier, the parish clergy and bishops, from clergé régulier, the members of religious orders, and haut and bas clergé.^[6][9][8]

English clergy (about 1200) comes from both Old French clergié and clergie.^[10]

Timeline

• Early 12th century – The plural clergiez appears in the Oxford Psalter.^[2]
• c. 1200 – English borrows it as clergie.^[10]
• 13th century – Villehardouin writes tous li clergiés.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. The clergy: the whole body of ecclesiastics of a religion, country, diocese, town or parish: le clergé du diocèse de Lyon.^[9][2]
2. Specifically, the Catholic clergy;^[2][9][6] clergé séculier, the secular clergy, and clergé régulier, the regular clergy of the religious orders.^[2][9][6]

Related words

• clerc
• clergie
• clergeon
• clérical
• Ecclesiastical Latin clēricātus
• English clergy

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d e f g Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 774a
8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com