20kWEB: Origin of the word Deacon. Etymology of the word Deacon. Etymology Dictionary.

DEACON, one of the lowest order of clergy. (L.,—Gk.) M.E. deken; Chaucer has the compound archedeken, C. T. 6884. The pl. dekenes is in Wyclif, 1 Tim. iii. 8.—A.S. deacon, Exod. iv. 14.—Lat. diaconus, a deacon.—Gk. διάκονος, a servant; hence, a deacon. 'Buttmann, in his Lexilogus, s.v. διάκτορος, makes it very probable, on prosodical grounds, that an old verb διάκω, διήκω, to run, hasten (whence also διώκω) is the root; διάκτορος being a collateral word from the same;' Liddell and Scott. Curtius, ii. 309, approves of this, and says: 'We may regard διωκ- as an expansion of the root di, djá (cf. i, já); perhaps we may follow Buttmann in deriving διάκ-ονος, διάκ-τωρ from the same source.' [It is meant, that the first syllable is διάκ-, not δια-, and that the common Gk. prep. διά has nothing to do with the present word.] He further explains (i. 78) that the κ is, nevertheless, no part of the original root, and reduces διακ- to δια-, derived (as above) from the ✔DI, to hasten. Cf. Gk. δίω, I flee away, δίεμαι, I speed, hasten; Skt. dí, to soar, to fly.—✔DI, to hasten; Fick, i. 109. Der. deacon-ess, where the suffix is of F. origin; deacon-ship, where the suffix is of A.S. origin; deacon-ry, with F. suffix -ry (for -rie); also diacon-ate, diacon-al, formed from the Lat. diaconus by help of the suffixes -ate and -al, both of Lat. origin.

Etymology Dictionary

Origin of the word DEACON. Etymology of the word DEACON.