Etymograph

English

zhrets

Zhrets comes from Russian жрец ‘heathen priest, pagan priest’, from Proto-Slavic *žьrti ‘to consecrate’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH- ‘to express approval’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷerH-1‘to express approval’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Balto-Slavicc. 2000–500 BCE*girˀ-1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*žьrti1‘to consecrate’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*žьrьcь1‘priest’reconstructed
  5. Russianmodernжрец2žrec‘heathen priest, pagan priest’
  6. Englishtodayzhrets2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Russian жрец
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English zhrets

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷerH-Wiktionary, Russian жрец‘to express approval’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Balto-Slavicc. 2000–500 BCE*girˀ-Wiktionary, Russian жрецreconstructed
  3. Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*žьrtiWiktionary, Russian жрец‘to consecrate’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*žьrьcьWiktionary, Russian жрец‘priest’reconstructed
  5. RussianmodernжрецWiktionary, English zhretsžrec‘heathen priest, pagan priest’
  6. EnglishtodayzhretsWiktionary, English zhrets

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH- ‘to express approval’

agree, grace, gratitude, congratulate, gracious, grate, gratis, gratuitous, gracias, congratulation, gree, 10 more

Today it means

noun Slavic pagan priest

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “zhrets”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Russian жрец. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH- / zhrets

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