From Latinclēricus, from Ancient Greekκληρικός(klērikós), from κλῆρος(klêros, “a casting lots, drawing lots”), (Europe; many officers at Athens obtained their offices by lot, as opposed to election [Liddell and Scott]), from Proto-Indo-European*kald-, *klād-(“timber, log”), from Proto-Indo-European*kola-, *klā-(“to beat, hew, break, destroy, kill”).