clerc

See also: clèrc and Clerc

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French clerc, from Late Latin clēricus (“clergyman, priest”), from Ancient Greek κληρικός (klērikós).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klɛʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones: clair, claire, claires, clairs, clercs

Noun

clerc m (plural clercs)

1. a clergyman, usually in Christianity
2. clerk (office worker)

Derived terms

• grand clerc

Related terms

• clergé
• clérical

Further reading

• “clerc”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English clerc, from Late Latin clēricus (“clergyman, priest”).

Noun

clerc

1. a clergyman, usually in Christianity

Descendants

• English: clerk

Old English

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin clēricus (“clergyman, priest”), from Ancient Greek κληρικός (klērikós).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klerk/, [klerˠk]

Noun

clerc m

1. clergyman, clerk

Declension

Declension of clerc (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	clerc	clercas
accusative	clerc	clercas
genitive	clerces	clerca
dative	clerce	clercum

Descendants

• Middle English: clerc
  • English: clerk

Old French

Etymology

From Late Latin clēricus (“clergyman, priest”), from Ancient Greek κληρικός (klērikós).

Noun

clerc oblique singular, m (oblique plural clers, nominative singular clers, nominative plural clerc)

1. a clergyman, usually in Christianity

Descendants

• French: clerc
• Norman: clèrc

Old Occitan

Etymology

From Late Latin clēricus (“clergyman, priest”), from Ancient Greek κληρικός (klērikós).

Noun

clerc m (oblique plural clercs, nominative singular clercs, nominative plural clerc)

1. a clergyman, usually in Christianity

References

• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “clēricus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 2: C Q K, page 774