Secretary
/ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri/noun
A person employed to handle correspondence, records, and administrative tasks.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *secretarius*, meaning a private or confidential attendant, from *secretum* (“a secret” or “something set apart”), so its earliest life was all about guarded knowledge, not paperwork.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*krei-
“to sift, separate”
Latin
Latin
cernere
“to separate, discern, distinguish”
Latin
Latin
secretus
“set apart, hidden, private”
Late Latin
Latin
secretarius
“a confidential person; private clerk or adviser”
Old French
Old French
secretarie
“a private secretary or confidential officer”
Middle English
English
secretarie
“a person entrusted with private business or correspondence”
Modern English
English
secretary
“an administrative assistant or officer who handles records and correspondence”