Vestrymen

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals responsible for managing a church's financial affairs and properties
2. Members of a church committee tasked with overseeing administrative duties and maintaining facilities
3. People appointed to handle specific functions within a religious institution, often concerning upkeep and resources

Etymology: The plural "vestrymen" is simply the plural of "vestryman," a compound of "vestry" and "man." The surprise lies in the first half: "vestry" originally named a room, not a group of people. It comes from Old French "vestiarie," a wardrobe or room where vestments were kept, and the same Latin root "vestis" (garment) gave English "vest." Over time the word moved from the room where clergy dressed and stored sacred garments to the meeting held there, and then to the parish officials who gathered to manage local church affairs. "Man" in the compound works as it does in "craftsman" or "churchman," naming a person connected with the thing before it. Old English "mann" was the general word for a human being, and by the time it was joined to "vestry," the compound described a man serving on that parish body.