clericus

Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek κληρικός (klērikós, “(adj. in church jargon) of the clergy”), from κλῆρος (klêros, “the clergy, what is allotted, a lot, inheritance, originally a shard used in casting lots”).

Noun

clēricus m (genitive clēricī); second declension

1. (Late Latin) a priest, clergyman or clergywoman, cleric
2. (Late Latin) a learned man, clerk

Declension

Second-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	clēricus	clēricī
genitive	clēricī	clēricōrum
dative	clēricō	clēricīs
accusative	clēricum	clēricōs
ablative	clēricō	clēricīs
vocative	clērice	clēricī

Related terms

• clērus
• clēricālis

Descendants

• Italo-Romance:
  • Italian: chierico
• North-Italian
  • Piedmontese: ciri
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Old Catalan: clèrec, clerc
    • Catalan: clergue, clerc
  • Old Francoprovençal: clergo, clerc
    • Franco-Provençal: clerg, clergeon
  • Old French: clerc
    • French: clerc
  • Occitan: clergue, clerc
• Borrowings:
  • → English: cleric
    • ⇒ Welsh: clerigwr
  • → Old English: clerc
    • Middle English: clerc
      • English: clerk
  • → Old Irish: cléirech
    • Irish: cléireach
    • Manx: cleragh
    • Scottish Gaelic: clèireach
  • → Old Leonese: clerigu (semi-learned)
  • → Old Galician-Portuguese: clerigo, crerigo (semi-learned)
    • Galician: crego, clérigo
    • Portuguese: clérigo, clergo
  • → Romanian: cleric (learned)
  • → Old Spanish: clerico (semi-learned)
    • Spanish: clérigo

References

• “clericus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• clericus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• clericus in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[1], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• “clerk”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.