1620s (also in early use as an adjective), from Church Latin clericus "clergyman, priest," noun use of adjective meaning "priestly, belonging to the clerus;" from Ecclesiastical Greek klerikos "pertaining to an inheritance," but in Greek Christian jargon by 2c., "of the clergy, belonging to the clergy," as opposed to the laity; from kleros "a lot, allotment; piece of land; heritage, inheritance," originally "a shard or wood chip used in casting lots," related to klan "to break" (see clastic).
Kleros was 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 Hebrew nahalah "inheritance, lot." Or else it is from the use of the word in Acts i:17. A word taken up in English after clerk (n.) shifted to its modern meaning.
双语例句
1. His grandfather was a Muslim cleric.
他的祖父是一名穆斯林阿訇。
来自柯林斯例句
2. You wanted him as the bridegroom, not as the officiating cleric.
你想把他作为你的新郎, 而不是一个履行公事的神父.
来自辞典例句
3. His friends now wondered at the cleric and very official - looking nature of his position.
他的朋友们对他这么伏案疾书不胜惊异.
来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
4. The grand cleric sent a legion of templars to hunt the fugitive.
大牧师立即派出了整整一个军团的圣殿武士去追捕这个逃犯.
来自互联网
5. Muhammad Tantawi, Egypt's senior cleric, died in Saudi Arabia, aged 81.
