Editing Church (building) (section)

==Etymology==
[[File:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - cyrican.jpg|thumb|{{lang|ang|Cyrican}} is an [[Old English]] word for churches and church property]]
The word ''church'' is derived from [[Old English]] {{lang|ang|cirice}}, 'place of assemblage set aside for Christian worship', from the [[Proto-Germanic language|Common Germanic]] word ''kirika''. This was probably borrowed via [[Gothic language|Gothic]] from [[Ancient Greek]] {{transliteration|grc|kyriakon doma}}, 'the Lord's (house)', from {{transliteration|grc|[[kyrios]]}}, 'ruler, lord'. {{transliteration|grc|Kyrios}} in turn comes from the [[Proto-Indo-European language|Indo-European]] root {{lang|ine-x-proto|*ḱewh₁-}}, meaning 'to spread out, to swell' (euphemistically: 'to prevail, to be strong').<ref>{{cite web |title=church |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/church#etymonline_v_11358 |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=www.etymonline.com}}</ref>

The various forms of the cognates to ''church'' in various languages reflect the word's linguistic roots in [[Greek language|Greek]] and [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] origins. For instance, in early [[Germanic languages]] such as [[Old High German]], the word evolved into ''kirihha'', highlighting its spread through the Christianization of Germanic peoples. This etymological journey illustrates how the concept of a place of Christian worship was linguistically adapted as Christianity expanded across [[Europe]]. Additionally, the use of the word in early Christian communities emphasized the association of the building with its dedication to [[God]].<ref name="OEtymDChurch" />

The Greek {{transliteration|grc|kyriakon}}, 'of the Lord', has been used of houses of Christian worship since {{c.|AD 300}}, especially in the East, although it was less common in this sense than {{transliteration|grc|[[Ecclesia (ancient Greece)|ekklesia]]}} or {{transliteration|grc|[[Basilica|basilike]]}}.<ref name="OEtymDChurch">{{cite web |title=Church |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=church |access-date=8 August 2016 |website=Online Etymology Dictionary |archive-date=31 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731005655/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=church |url-status=live}}</ref>