clerk

clerk
{{11}}clerk (n.) O.E. clerc, from L.L. clericus "a priest," from Gk. klerikos (adj.) in church jargon "of the clergy," derived from kleros "lot, inheritance" (originally "a shard or wood chip used in casting lots," related to klan "to break;" see HOLT (Cf. holt)), used by early Greek Christians for matters relating to ministry based on Deut. xviii:2 reference to Levites as temple assistants: "Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the Lord is their inheritance," kleros being used as a translation of Heb. nahalah "inheritance, lot." If the word choice was meant to remind clerics of anything, however, the reminder was lost with the knowledge of ancient Greek. Or else it is from the use of the word in Acts i:17. Modern bureaucratic usage is from c.1500, a reminder of the dark ages when clergy alone could read and write. Related: Clerkship.
{{12}}clerk (v.) 1550s, from CLERK (Cf. clerk) (n.). Related: Clerked, clerking.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • clerk — 1 n 1: an official responsible (as to a court) for correspondence, records, and accounts and having specified powers or authority (as to issue writs) a city clerk clerk of court 2 a: a person employed to keep records or accounts or to perform… …   Law dictionary

  • Clerk — (kl[ e]rk; in Eng. kl[aum]rk; 277), n. [Either OF. clerc, fr. L. clericus a priest, or AS. clerc, cleric, clerk, priest, fr. L. clericus, fr. Gr. klhriko s belonging to the clergy, fr. klh^ros lot, allotment, clergy; cf. Deut. xviii. 2. Cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Clerk — 〈[ kla:k] od. [klœ:rk] m. 6〉 1. Gerichtsschreiber 2. Buchhalter, Handlungsgehilfe, kaufm. Angestellter 3. (niederer) Geistlicher der anglikan. Kirche [engl., „Sekretär, Buchhalter, Kontorist“] * * * Clerk [klark, engl.: klɑ:k ], der; s, s [engl.… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • clerk — clerk·ess; clerk·ish; clerk·less; clerk; clerk·ship; clerk·ly; …   English syllables

  • Clerk — ist der englische Begriff für einen Büroangestellten, Schriftführer oder Protokollführer bei Gericht Clerk ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Alexandre M. Clerk (1861–1932), kanadischer Komponist und Dirigent George Russell Clerk… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • clerk — ► NOUN 1) a person employed in an office or bank to keep records or accounts and to undertake other routine administrative duties. 2) an official in charge of the records of a local council or court. 3) a senior official in Parliament. 4) a lay… …   English terms dictionary

  • clerk|ly — «KLUR klee; British KLAHR klee», adjective, adverb. –adj. 1. of or like a clerk; clerkish. 2. of the clergy. 3. Archaic. scholarly. –adv. in the manner of a clerk. –clerk´li|ness, noun …   Useful english dictionary

  • clerk — klərk n a third or fourth year medical student undergoing clinical training in a clerkship clerk vi …   Medical dictionary

  • Clerk — [klark, engl. klɑ:k] der; s, s <aus engl. clerk »Angestellter«, dies über fr. clerc »Schreiber, Angestellter«, eigtl. »Kleriker«, aus kirchenlat. clericus, vgl. ↑Klerikeru. Klerus>: 1. kaufmännischer Angestellter (in England od. Amerika). 2 …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • clerk — [klʉrk; ] Brit [ klärk] n. [ME < OFr & OE clerc, both < LL(Ec) clericus, a priest < Gr(Ec) klērikos, a cleric < klēros, lot, inheritance (later, from use in LXX, Deut. 18:2, of the Levites, hence the Christian clergy), orig., a shard… …   English World dictionary

  • Clerk [1] — Clerk (engl.), 1) so v. w. Clerc, bes. 2); 2) Küster an einer englischen Universität …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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