Parishioner
/pəˈrɪʃ.ən.ər/noun
A member or regular attendee of a parish church.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Greek *paroikos*, meaning “one who dwells beside” or “sojourner,” a root that also fed the word *pariah*—a reminder that belonging and exclusion were once encoded in the same ancient idea.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Gk
paroikos
“a person living nearby; a resident alien or sojourner”
Late Latin
Lat
parochia
“a church district; a parish”
Old French
OF
paroisse
“a parish”
Middle English
ME
parisshen
“belonging to a parish”
Middle English
ME
parisshener
“a parish member or inhabitant”
Modern English
Eng
parishioner
“a member of a parish”