Laikos
/laiˈkos/noun
A Greek term meaning lay or secular, especially referring to non-clerical members of a religious community.
Did you know?In Christian Greek, laikos distinguished ordinary believers from the clergy, and it ultimately gave English the word “laity.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂lewdʰós
“Belonging to the people or nation”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λαός (laós)
“People, nation, or populace”
Classical Greek
Greek
λαϊκός (laïkós)
“Of or belonging to the people”
Late Antique Greek
Greek
λαϊκός (laïkós)
“Lay or non-clerical, in contrast with the clergy”
Modern Greek
Greek
λαϊκός (laïkós)
“Popular, folk, secular, or lay”
Modern English
English
laikos
“A transliterated Greek term used in religious and cultural contexts for a layperson or something non-clerical”