History and etymology[edit]
The word clerk is derived from the Latin clericus meaning "cleric" or "clergyman", which is the latinisation of the Greek κληρικός (klērikos), "of the clergy". The word entered English from Scots Gaelic clèireach, which was also derived from the Latin clericus.[2][3]
The association derived from early medieval courts, where writing was mainly entrusted to clergy because most laymen couldn't read. In a medieval context, the word clerk meant "scholar". Even today, the term Clerk regular designates a type of regular cleric. The cognate terms in some languages, e.g., Klerk in Dutch, became restricted to a specific, fairly low rank in the administrative hierarchy.