English
episcopal
Episcopal comes from Latin episcopus ‘overseer, supervisor, bishop’, from Ancient Greek σκοπός ‘watcher, lookout, guardian’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *skep-ye-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*skep-ye-reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσκέπτομαιsképtomai‘to observe’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπός‘watcher, lookout, guardian’root of σκέπτομαι
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐπίσκοποςepískopos‘watchman, overseer’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEepiscopus‘overseer, supervisor, bishop’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEepiscopālis
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500episcopal
- Englishearliest quotation 1845episcopal
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*skep-ye-reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσκέπτομαιsképtomai‘to observe’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκοπός‘watcher, lookout, guardian’root of σκέπτομαι
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐπίσκοποςepískopos‘watchman, overseer’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEepiscopus‘overseer, supervisor, bishop’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEepiscopālis
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500episcopal
- Englishearliest quotation 1845episcopal
Earliest quotation: 1845, William Palmer, Origines Liturgicae: “Inthronization, in ancient times, immediately succeeded the rite of…”
Linked words
through Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι ‘to observe’
skeptical, microscope, kaleidoscope, gyroscope, 91 more
through Ancient Greek σκοπός ‘watcher, lookout, guardian’
scope, spectroscopic, macroscopic, endoscopic, 93 more
through Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος ‘watchman, overseer’
through Latin episcopus ‘overseer, supervisor, bishop’
Today it means
adj Of or relating to the affairs of a bishop in various Christian churches.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *skep-ye- / episcopal