Parochial
/pəˈroʊ.ki.əl/noun
Relating to a church parish; narrow, limited, or local in outlook.
Did you know?Parochial comes through Church Latin and Anglo-French from Greek paroikía, meaning “dwelling nearby,” tied to the idea of living beside a place rather than fully belonging to it.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
paroikía
“dwelling nearby; residence in a foreign place”
Late Latin
Latin
parochia
“a diocese or church district”
Old French
OF
paroiche
“a parish”
Middle English
English
parochial
“of or pertaining to a parish”
Modern English
English
parochial
“relating to a parish; narrow or limited in outlook”