vestry English · revision 826

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈvɛstɹi/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|vestrie]], earlier ''westre'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate) probably from Anglo-French ''*vesterie'', an alteration of [[fro|vestiarie|t=room for vestments]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) [[der|la|vestiārium|t=wardrobe]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) a noun use of ''vestiārius'' “of clothes”, from ''vestis'' “garment”.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) The earlier English form was ''vestiarie'' (c. 1200).^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A room in a church, usually near the chancel, in which the vestments and sacred vessels are kept and the clergy robe (1388).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The vestry was often used for parish business and local government,^(Etymonline) so in England the word came to mean a meeting of the parishioners (1589) and then the body of parishioners acting as a parish council (before 1672).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) The ''vestryman'' (1610s) was a member of such a board.^(Etymonline) In the Episcopal Church a vestry is a committee elected to manage a church's temporal affairs (1891).^(OED 1989)^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) Non-liturgical churches kept the word for a room used for Sunday school or prayer meetings.^(Etymonline)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1200 – ''vestiarie''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1388 – ''westre'', a robing room in a church.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1589 – a meeting of parishioners.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1610s – ''vestryman''.^(Etymonline)

+ * before 1672 – a parish board.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1891 – an elected church committee.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A room in or attached to a church where the clergy put on their [[vestment|alt=vestments]] and where these and sacred objects are kept; a [[sacristy]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A room in a church used for meetings, classes and prayer.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In the Episcopal Church, a committee elected to manage the temporal affairs of a [[parish]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In the Church of England, a meeting of parishioners, or of their representatives, on parish business.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[vestral]]

+ * [[vestrywoman]]

+ * [[vestryman]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vestibule]]

+ * [[vesture]]

+ * [[vestment]]

+ * [[vest]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}