Kirche
/ˈkɪʁ.çə/noun
A Christian church building or congregation.
Did you know?German Kirche ultimately comes from Greek kyriakon, meaning “the Lord’s (house),” a rare case where a word for sacred space preserves the idea of ownership by the divine.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kyriakon
“(thing) belonging to the Lord; the Lord’s house”
Late Latin
Latin
ecclesia / dominicum
“church; the Lord’s house in Christian usage”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kirikō
“church”
Old High German
OHG
kirihha
“church”
Modern German
German
Kirche
“church”