'anagnostes' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ἀναγνώστης' (anagnōstēs), where 'ana-' meant 'up' or 'again' and 'gnōstēs' meant 'knower' or 'reader.'

'anagnostes' was adopted directly from Late Latin 'anagnostes,' which came from the Greek 'anagnōstēs,' and eventually became the English word 'anagnostes.'

Initially, it meant 'reader' in the sense of someone who reads aloud, especially in a church, and this meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.