κληρικός

Forms

κληρῐκός (klērikós) m (feminine κληρῐκή, neuter κληρῐκόν); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek κλῆρος (klêros, “lot, inheritance; clergy”) + -ικός (-ikós).^[1][2][3] The adjective first concerned inheritances; its Christian sense comes from κλῆρος (klêros) as the name of the clergy.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first use that LSJ cites is in Harpocration's lexicon of the Attic orators, where τὰ κληρικά are matters concerning inheritances.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

In astrology Vettius Valens uses it of what follows the astrological “lot”, the κλῆρος (klêros), and the adverb with it.^[5][6][7] By the 4th century AD it meant “of the clergy”, and as a noun “a cleric”; it often meant the lower clergy as distinct from the bishop, and it appears in the oracles of Astrampsychus and in Justinian's Code.^[2][6][5] Coptic borrowed it as ⲕⲗⲏⲣⲓⲕⲟⲥ (klērikos), in Sahidic manuscripts from about AD 900.^[8]

Church Latin took it as clēricus (“clergyman”), the source of English cleric (1620s); Late Latin clēricātus gave French clergé and English clergy.^[4][2][1] Medieval vernacular Greek also had a form κλερικός (klerikós), influenced by the Medieval Latin word and by French clerc.^[9] Modern Greek κληρικός (klirikós) is a learned word for a priest of any rank, the opposite of λαϊκός (laïkós, “layman”).^[10][11] Its derivative κληρικαλισμός (klirikalismós) renders French cléricalisme.^[2]

Timeline

• 1st–2nd century AD – Harpocration uses it for matters of inheritance.^[5][12]
• 2nd century AD – Vettius Valens uses it as an astrological term.^[5][6][12]
• 3rd century AD – The oracles of Astrampsychus use the noun for a cleric.^[5][6][12]
• 4th century AD – It is recorded for the clergy and for a member of it.^[2]
• About AD 900 – Sahidic Coptic manuscripts have the loanword ⲕⲗⲏⲣⲓⲕⲟⲥ (klērikos).^[8]
• 1620s – English cleric is first recorded, from Church Latin clēricus.^[4]
• Modern Greek – κληρικός (klirikós) is a learned word for a priest of any rank.^[10][11]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Concerning inheritances.^[5][6]
2. (astrology) Of or according to the astrological lot.^[5][6]
3. (Christianity) Of the clergy, clerical.^[1][2]

Noun

1. A cleric, member of the clergy, often of the lower clergy as distinct from the bishop.^[5][6][1]

Related words

• κλῆρος (klêros)
• Latin clēricus
• English cleric
• English clergy

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
3. ^ Βικιλεξικό, the Greek Wiktionary, https://el.wiktionary.org
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Charbonnet, André (2025), Chæréphon, v4.7: supplement to Bailly from papyri, inscriptions and recent lexica
7. ^ Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος
8. ^ a b Database and Dictionary of Greek Loanwords in Coptic (DDGLC), Freie Universität Berlin and Universität Leipzig
9. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
10. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
11. ^ a b Ακαδημία Αθηνών (2014), Χρηστικό Λεξικό της Νεοελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Academy of Athens
12. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge