Etymology

preacher

preach·er
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Today it means: Someone who preaches a worldview, philosophy, or religion, especially someone who preaches the gospel and especially a clergyman or clergywoman. In a religious context, usually used only to refer to Protestant Christian clergy. Full definition →

Middle English precher ← Old French preecheor ← Latin praedicator
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The story

  1. Latin · derived frompraedicator“public praiser, proclaimer”
  2. Old French · derived frompreecheor
  3. Middle English · inherited fromprechour
  4. Middle English · inherited fromprecher
  5. English todaypreacher

From Middle English precher, prechere; partly equivalent to preach + -er, and partly continuing Middle English prechour, prechiour, from Old French preecheor (French prêcheur), from Latin praedicator (“public praiser, proclaimer”). See preach. Displaced native Old English bydel.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.