The body of ordained clergy or church officials collectively, especially in Christian tradition.
From Late Latin clerus, derived from Greek kleros meaning 'lot' or 'inheritance,' referring to those chosen by God. The term originally meant the portion of land assigned to priests and evolved to mean the priestly class itself.
The word clerus gave us 'clergy' and 'clerk'—and originally it referred to a priest's share of land, not people! This shows how one group literally claimed their divine portion, and the word grew to mean the people themselves.
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