Worship: from worth-ship to bowing low

‘We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ (Matthew 2:2)

‘Worship’ is one of those words that feels familiar until we look closely at where it comes from. Old English began with ‘worth-ship’, the honour given to someone of great value. Other European languages went in different directions. French and Spanish favour words like ‘adorer’, shaped by Latin prayers. German uses ‘anbeten’, meaning to turn towards someone in devoted entreaty. The Greek behind our English translations adds something more physical still. ‘Proskyneo’ means to approach and bow low, a movement of the whole body.

Tracing these strands helps me understand the depth of the word we use so easily. Worship holds together worth, direction and posture. It asks who we value, where we turn, and how we respond.

Each word card set begins with an image that captures the theme of the word. The following cards trace its story: a main word card (or two, if extended), a junior version with a paler border, an etymological breakdown showing how the word travelled through time, and a list of sources. Some sets also include cards for related words or translations across other languages. Together they show where each word came from, how it changed, and what it still carries with it.