Etymology

secretary

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Today it means: A person who keeps records, takes notes and handles general clerical work. Full definition →

Medieval Latin secrētārius ← Latin sēcrētus ← Proto-Italic *krinō
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secretary · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*s(w)é
  2. Latinsē-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*krey-
  4. Proto-Italic*krinō
  5. Latincernō
  6. Latinsēcrētus
  7. Medieval Latinsecrētārius
  8. English todaysecretary

From Medieval Latin secrētārius (“one entrusted with secrets”), from Latin secrētus (“private, secret”), past participle of secernere (“to separate, set apart”), from se- (“apart”) + cernere (“to separate”).

Secretary · proper noun2

Named by Lord Baltimore after his secretary.

Words from the same roots

Latinsecrētus all →

secretsecrete

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.