Faith & RitualGreek → English
Eucharist
/ˈjuːkərɪst/noun
The Christian sacrament of bread and wine, and the service in which it is shared.
The Greek roots
εὖ
eû
well, good
χάρις
kháris
grace, favour
Literally: “thanksgiving, good grace”
The story of the word
The rite is named after a gesture, not a substance. In the accounts of the Last Supper Jesus takes bread and gives thanks, εὐχαριστήσας, and the participle became the name of the whole thing by the early second century. The same χάρις gives charisma and charity, and modern Greek still says ευχαριστώ for thank you.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Latin → Old French → English
- First recorded
- 14th century
The same roots elsewhere
Other languages reached for exactly the same Greek pieces.
Same family
charismacharityeulogyeuphoria
In a sentence
The Eucharist was celebrated in the side chapel while the roof was repaired.