liturgical
Meaning
Relating to liturgy or public worship.
Structure
Usage
The choir sang a traditional liturgical hymn during the service.
He is an expert in liturgical studies and ancient worship practices.
The bishop discussed proposed changes to the liturgical calendar.
Etymology
The word 'liturgical' originates from the Greek leitourgia, which denoted a public duty or service performed by a citizen for the state, often at personal expense. This term was adopted into Christian Greek to describe the prescribed form of public worship, the collective "work of the people." Entering Late Latin as liturgia, it passed into English, where the adjectival suffix '-ical' was appended. Thus, the modern abstract meaning evolved from the ancient concept of communal, public work to specifically denote matters pertaining to the formal rituals and ceremonies of a religious community.
Analysis
- liturg: From Greek leitourgia (public service, work of the people), itself from leitos (public) + ergon (work). - ical: A suffix forming adjectives, meaning "of or pertaining to," from Latin -icalis.