Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/kirikā

This Proto-West Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-West Germanic

Etymology

Borrowed from Koine Greek κυριακὸν (δῶμα) (kuriakòn (dôma), “Lord’s (house)”), from Ancient Greek κύριος (kúrios, “lord”). An example of the Greek-to-Germanic progress (possibly via a Latin intermediary) of many Christian words, it probably spread from Christianized Roman centres such as the imperial residence at Trier to the Franks and other West-Germanic-speaking groups from the fourth century onwards. It is unlikely to have been spread by the Goths, who are known to have used the term 𐌰𐌹𐌺𐌺𐌻𐌴𐍃𐌾𐍉 (aikklēsjō).

Noun

*kirikā f

1. (Christianity) church

Inflection

ōn-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*kirikā
Genitive	*kirikōn
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*kirikā	*kirikōn
Accusative	*kirikōn	*kirikōn
Genitive	*kirikōn	*kirikōnō
Dative	*kirikōn	*kirikōm, *kirikum
Instrumental	*kirikōn	*kirikōm, *kirikum

Descendants

• Old English: ċiriċe
  • Middle English: chirche, kirke
    • English: church
    • Geordie English: chorch, kirk
    • Scots: kirk
    • Yola: chourch
  • → Old Norse: kirkja (see there for further descendants)
• Old Frisian: tsirke, tzirke, zerke, ziurke, kerke, karke
  • Saterland Frisian: Säärke
  • West Frisian: tsjerke
  • North Frisian: Sērk (Sylt), schörk (Mooring), sark (Föhr-Amrum)
• Old Saxon: kirika
  • Middle Low German: kirke, kerke, karke
    • German Low German: Kark, Kiärke
    • Plautdietsch: Kjoakj, Tjoatj
  • → Estonian: kirik
  • → Finnish: kirkko
    • Meänkieli: kirkko
    • → Northern Sami: girku (or from Old Norse)
    • → Lule Sami: girkko (or from Old Norse)
    • → Pite Sami: girrko (or from Old Norse)
    • → Southern Sami: gærhkoe (or from Old Norse)
  • → Ingrian: kirkko
  • → Karelian: kirikkö
• Old Dutch: kirika
  • Middle Dutch: kerke
    • Dutch: kerk (see there for further descendants)
    • Limburgish: kèrk
• Old High German: kirihha, kilihha
  • Middle High German: kirche
    • Alemannic German: Chilche, Chilä, Chile, Chille

      Alsatian: Kirich, Kerich

      Swabian: Kirch, Kircha

    • Bavarian:

      Cimbrian: khirch, khércha

      Mòcheno: kirch

    • Central Franconian: Kirch, Kerch

      Eifel: Körch

      Hunsrik: Kerrich

      Luxembourgish: Kierch

    • East Central German: Kürche, Küeche

      Upper Saxon German: Kersche

    • East Franconian: Kerch
    • Rhine Franconian:

      Palatine German: Kärsch

    • German: Kirche
      • → Russian: ки́рха (kírxa), ки́рка (kírka)
      • → Ukrainian: кі́рха (kírxa)
    • Yiddish: קירך (kirkh)
  • → Proto-Slavic: *cьrky (see there for further descendants)