kirkwardenn.
/ˈkəːkwɔːd(ə)n/, U.S. /ˈkərkˌwɔrd(ə)n/, Scottish English /ˈkɪrkwɔrd(ə)n/ Scottish in later use. Now historical and rare.
= churchwarden n. 1a.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > church government > laity > lay functionaries > church-warden > [noun]
reeveeOE
kirkmaster1429
church reeve1433
warden1439
kirkreeve1442
churchwarden1443
churchman1457
churchmaster1484
churchward1496
kirkwarden1500
herenach1607
chapelwarden1688
kirkward1883
1500–18 Extracts Bk. Building Louth Steeple (modernized text) in Archaeologia (1792) 10 93 Gold found in the kirk delivered by William Ayleby priest to kirkwardens.
1514 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 145 To the seid Curate and Kirke-wardeyns.
1641 in J. Stuart Extracts Council Reg. Aberdeen (1871) III. 253 The iniunctionis maid..be the..counsell of this burghe, to be keipit..be the sacrister or kirk warden tharof.
1679 J. Somerville Memorie Somervilles (1815) II. 396 Cambusnethen persists in his resolutione, and myndes to make use of the king's keyes, if the kirk-warden refuise to delyver the keyes.
1801 Misc. Perthensis 5 (heading) The kirk warden.
2005 J. London Highlander in Disguise vi. 60 I've been to the kirkwarden to review the parish registers, sir.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1500