| '''Clerk''', the [[vocational]] title, commonly refers to a white-collar worker who conducts general office or, in some instances, sales tasks. The [[responsibilities]] of clerical workers commonly include [[record]] keeping, filing, staffing service counters and other [[administrative]] tasks. In American English, this includes shop staff, but in British English, such people are known as shop assistants and are not considered to be clerks. Also, the pronunciation is different: /ˈklɑrk/ klark in most dialects outside North America, but /ˈklɜrk/ "klerk" in North American dialects. | | '''Clerk''', the [[vocational]] title, commonly refers to a white-collar worker who conducts general office or, in some instances, sales tasks. The [[responsibilities]] of clerical workers commonly include [[record]] keeping, filing, staffing service counters and other [[administrative]] tasks. In American English, this includes shop staff, but in British English, such people are known as shop assistants and are not considered to be clerks. Also, the pronunciation is different: /ˈklɑrk/ klark in most dialects outside North America, but /ˈklɜrk/ "klerk" in North American dialects. |
− | The [[word]] clerk, derived from the [[Latin]] clericus meaning '[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleric cleric]', i.e. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clergyman clergyman] ([[Latin]] was the foremost [[language]] used at most early medieval [[courts]], writing mainly entrusted to clergy as most laymen couldn't [[read]]), can denote someone who [[works]] in an office and whose [[duties]] include [[record]]-keeping or [[correspondence]]. The [[word]] entered [[English]] from Scots Gaelic clèireach also derived from [[Latin]] clericus, which in turn derived from [[Greek]] κληρικός (klerikos) "of the clergy". | + | The [[word]] clerk, derived from the [[Latin]] clericus meaning '[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleric cleric]', i.e. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clergyman clergyman] ([[Latin]] was the foremost [[language]] used at most early medieval [[courts]], writing mainly entrusted to clergy as most laymen couldn't [[read]]), can denote someone who [[works]] in an office and whose [[duties]] include [[record]]-keeping or [[correspondence]]. The [[word]] entered [[English]] from Scots Gaelic clèireach also derived from [[Latin]] clericus, which in turn derived from [[Greek]] κληρικός (klerikos) "of the clergy". |
| In a medieval [[context]], the word meant "[[Scholar]]" and still related to the word "cleric". Even today, the term Clerk regular designates a type of regular clerics. The cognate terms in some languages, e.g. Klerk in Dutch, became restricted to a specific, fairly low rank in the [[administrative]] [[hierarchy]]. | | In a medieval [[context]], the word meant "[[Scholar]]" and still related to the word "cleric". Even today, the term Clerk regular designates a type of regular clerics. The cognate terms in some languages, e.g. Klerk in Dutch, became restricted to a specific, fairly low rank in the [[administrative]] [[hierarchy]]. |