Laity
/ˈleɪ.ɪ.ti/noun
The body of people in a religious community who are not part of the clergy.
Did you know?*Laity* comes from Greek *laikos*, “of the people,” from *laos* meaning “people,” a root that also lives in words like *laic* and *laicism*—not occult, but deeply tied to sacred power and who gets to wield it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leh₂-
“to gather; the people assembled”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λαός (laós)
“the people, the multitude”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λαϊκός (laïkós)
“of the people, lay, not clerical”
Late Latin
Latin
laicus
“lay, non-ecclesiastical”
Old French
Old French
lai
“layman, non-cleric”
Middle English
English
laite / laity
“the lay people as distinct from clergy”
Modern English
English
laity
“the body of non-clerical church members”