Kirkja
/ˈkirkja/noun
An Old Norse word meaning a church.
Did you know?Kirkja is the Old Norse ancestor of Scottish and northern English *kirk*, and it ultimately comes from Greek *kyriakon* meaning “the Lord’s (house),” not from a pagan or magical root.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kyriakon
“(something) belonging to the Lord”
Late Latin
Latin
κυριακόν / dominicum
“the Lord’s house; a church”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kirikō
“church”
Old Norse
ON
kirkja
“church”
Modern English
English
kirk
“a church, especially in Scotland”