What is the meaning and origin of the word church?

Answer

The Greek term ekklesia, translated as “church” in the New Testament, literally means “a called-out assembly.” The origin of the English word church has roots in Greek as well, although the path it took is different.

Etymologically, the term church signifies “house of the Lord.” The contemporary term church is a direct evolution of the Old English word cirice or circe. The earliest documented use of this Old English term dates back to the thirteenth century, and it could denote either a group of Christian believers or the location where they congregated.

In adherence to their beliefs, the early Quakers refrained from labeling the structures where they congregated as “churches,” as they understood the biblical term church to pertain to people, not a physical structure. Instead, the Quakers referred to a building intended for Christian worship as a “steeplehouse.” This term is now considered outdated, as many church buildings no longer feature a steeple.

Tracing back further than Old English, the term church can be ultimately linked to a Greek expression, kūrikón, which was associated with kurios, meaning “lord.” The phrase kūrikón oikía translated to “the Lord’s house.” In the medieval era, the Greek term for “house of worship” was shortened to kūrkón. This term was borrowed by West Germanic as kirika and eventually made its way into Old English as cirice.

Old Norse adopted the Old English term cirice to create kirkja, which led to the emergence of the Scottish term kirk. During the Middle English period, the term kirk was assimilated from the Scots, resulting in Modern English having both church and kirk as interchangeable terms.

Numerous English words, particularly those associated with Christianity, have their origins in Greek and traversed early German dialects. The term church is among these words. Other ecclesiastical English terms that share a Greek lineage include Christ, angel, evangelism, baptize, episcopal, apostle, Presbyterian, and charismatic.