sacrista

Forms

sacrista m (genitive sacristae); first declension^[1][2] The spelling secrista is also found.^[3]

Etymology

It is from Latin sacer (“sacred”) + -ista.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in a charter of 779,^[3] meaning a church official, a sacristan.^[3][1]

Semantic evolution

In Medieval Latin it named the monk in charge of an abbey church, and more generally a sacristan or sexton.^[1] British sources also use it for a servant of God (of bishops), for the member of a community who looked after the fabric, vestments and vessels of a church, and for the office itself.^[2] A feminine use, for the sacristan of a nunnery, is found in Abelard.^[3] The derivative sacristanus is the source of English sacristan and, through Old French, of sexton.^[4]

Timeline

• 779 – A charter has the word.^[3]
• first half of the 12th century – Abelard uses it for a woman in a nunnery.^[3]
• 1388 – A patent roll uses it for the office of sacristan.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A monk in charge of the conventual church.^[1][2]
2. (Medieval Latin) A sacristan, sexton.^[1][5]
3. (Medieval Latin) A servant of God, a minister in divine matters.^[2]
4. (Medieval Latin) The office of sacristan.^[2]

Related words

• sacer
• English sacristan
• English sexton

References

1. ^ a b c d e Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
2. ^ a b c d e f g Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson