late O.E. predician, a loan word from Church L., reborrowed 12c. as preachen, from O.Fr. prechier (11c.), from L.L. predicare "to proclaim publicly, announce" (in M.L. "to preach"), from L. præ- "forth" + dicare "to proclaim, to say" (see diction). To preach to the
converted is recorded from 1867. Preacher (early 13c.) is from O.Fr. preecheor, from L. prædicatorem (nom. prædicator), lit. "proclaimer." Slang short form preach (n.) is recorded from 1968.