Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Philip Schaff (1819–1893), theologian and historian. From German Poimenik from ancient Greek ποιμενική the art of the shepherd, use as noun (short for ποιμενικὴ τέχνη) of Hellenistic Greek ποιμενικός relating to a shepherd from ancient Greek ποιμήν shepherd, in Hellenistic Greek pastor, teacher (Septuagint, New Testament; from the same Indo-European base as Lithuanian piemuo, genitive piemens) + -ικός. With noun use in plural compare -ic.