different between clerky vs clergy

English

Etymology

clerk +? -y

Adjective

clerky (comparative more clerky, superlative most clerky)

1. clerklike; clerkish
   • 1902, Rudyard Kipling, "Wireless", Scribner's

     Returning, he took from his desk Christie's New Commercial Plants and the old Culpepper that I had given him, opened and laid them side by side with a clerky air, all trace of passion gone from his face, read first in one and then in the other, and paused with pen behind his ear.

English

Etymology

Middle English clergie (attested in the 13th century), from Old French clergié (“learned men”), from Late Latin cl?ric?tus, from Latin cl?ricus (“one ordained for religious services”), from Ancient Greek ???????? (kl?rikós, “of the clergy”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?kl??d?i/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?kl?d?i/
• Rhymes: -??(r)d?i

Noun

clergy (plural clergies)

1. Body of persons, such as ministers, sheiks, priests and rabbis, who are trained and ordained for religious service.

   Today we brought together clergy from the Wiccan, Christian, New Age and Islamic traditions for an interfaith dialogue.

Derived terms

• clergyman

Related terms

• cleric
• clerical
• clerk

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “clergy”, in Online Etymology Dictionary