Etymology
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Ecclesiastes (n.)

c. 1300, name given to one of the Old Testament books, traditionally ascribed to Solomon, from Greek ekklesiastes (see ecclesiastic), to render Hebrew qoheleth "one who addresses an assembly," from qahal "assembly." The title is technically the designation of the speaker, but that word throughout is usually rendered into English as "The Preacher" (which Klein calls "erroneous," as the modern meaning of preacher is not synonymous with the Greek word).

Entries linking to Ecclesiastes

ecclesiastic (adj.)

late 15c., from French ecclésiastique and directly from Medieval Latin ecclesiasticus, from Greek ekklesiastikos "of the (ancient Athenian) assembly," in late Greek, "of the church," from ekklesiastes "speaker in an assembly or church, preacher," from ekkalein "to call out," from ek "out" (see ex-) + kalein "to call" (from PIE root *kele- (2) "to shout"). As a noun, "one holding an office in the Christian ministry," 1650s (the earlier noun was ecclesiast, late 14c.); the Latin word also was used as a noun in Late Latin.

updated on October 10, 2017

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Dictionary entries near Ecclesiastes

ecarte

ecbatic

ecce homo

eccentric

eccentricity

Ecclesiastes

ecclesiastic

ecclesiastical

ecdysiast

echelon

echidna

© 2001-2023 Douglas Harper