christen

christen · verb¹

1. Old English · inherited fromcristnian“to christen, baptise”
2. Middle English · inherited fromcristenen
3. English todaychristen

From Middle English cristenen, cristnien, from Old English cristnian (“to christen, baptise”), from cristen (“Christen, Christian”) + -nian. Cognate with Saterland Frisian kristenje (“to christen”), Dutch kerstenen (“to christen”), Middle Low German kristenen, kerstenen, karstenen (“to christen”), Danish kristne (“to christen”), Swedish kristna (“to christen”), Icelandic kristna (“to christen”). By surface analysis, Christ + -en.

Christen · adjective, noun²

1. Latin · derived fromChristiānus
2. Old English · inherited fromcrīsten
3. Middle English · inherited fromCristen
4. English todayChristen

From Middle English Cristen, from Old English crīsten (ca. 890), from Latin Christiānus.

Words from the same roots