Of debated origin: # Borrowed from Old French arcevesque, from Latin archiepiscopus, from Ancient Greek ἀρχιεπίσκοπος (arkhiepískopos). # A native word. From the proper noun Old High German Aschericus. In 997, Astrik, also known as Anastasius, Astericus, Ascrick, Astrissicus, became the first abbot of the Benedictine abbey of St. Martin's in the Kingdom of Hungary.