kirk
nouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//kɜːk//
- United States//kɜɹk//
- Scotland//kɪɾk//
- //kɔʶːk//
A church.
noun
- 1
A church.
The Ship was cheer'd, the Harbour clear'd— / Merrily did we drop / Below the Kirk, below the Hill, / Below the Light-house top.
When she sang in the kirk, folk have told me that they had a foretaste of the musick of the New Jerusalem, and when she came in by the village of Caulds old men stottered to their doors to look at her.
But long, long ago an enthusiastic reporter called it a "fairy palace," and the office building on the west side was once a church. Hence, in North British phraseology, to "gang tae the Kirk" meant to be had up on the carpet.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *ḱuh₁-ryós Proto-Hellenic *kúrios Ancient Greek κῡ́ριος (kū́rios) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ακός (-akós) Koine Greek κῡριακός (kūriakós) Koine Greek κυριακόν (kuriakón)bor. Proto-West Germanic *kirikā Old English ċiriċebor. Old Norse kirkjabor.? ▲ Old English ċiriċe? Northern Middle English kyrke English kirk Inherited from Northern Middle English kyrke, possibly borrowed from Old Norse kirkja, or possibly from Old English ċiriċe. Doublet of church.
Forms
- plural
- kirks