Église
/eɡliz/noun
A Christian church building or congregation.
Did you know?Église comes from Greek *ekklēsía*, originally a civic assembly, and the same root is behind English *ecclesiastical*—so a “church” began as an organized gathering, not a building.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ekklēsía
“an assembly, especially a public gathering called together”
Late Latin
Latin
ecclesia
“the Christian congregation; a church”
Old French
Old French
eglise
“a church; the Christian community”
Modern English
English
ecclesia
“a church or assembly, mainly in learned or historical use”
Modern French
French
église
“a church building or parish church”
Explore more surprising origins