Church
/tʃɜːrtʃ/noun
A building used for public Christian worship.
Did you know?The word 'church' is linked to the Greek word for 'goddess', suggesting ancient worship practices that predate Christianity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱer-
“to grow, to become, to turn”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κῦρος (kyros)
“a term related to the divine or lordly”
Old English
Anglo-Saxon
cirice
“a place of Christian worship, derived from earlier forms”
Old High German
OHG
chirihha
“a church or house of worship, reflecting the influence of the Christian faith”
12th Century
Middle English
chirche
“a building for Christian communal worship, evolving into its current form”
Explore more surprising origins