Etymology

autem

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Today it means: A church. Full definition →

First used 16th–18th c.Yiddish אַ
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The story

  1. Yiddish · borrowed fromאַ“indefinite article”
  2. English todayautem

UK 16th century. Possibly borrowed from Yiddish אַ (a, “indefinite article”) + טומאה (tume, “church (derogatory); forbidden; impure”).

First known use, by meaning

  • 16th–18th c. A church.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.