One picture can hold this word: a figure that stands beside something precious and does not leave. In the oldest texts that figure is — several faces, many eyes, wings on wings, posted at a throne or a gate. Centuries of painters kept the wings and everything else, until the guard had become a child floating on a cloud. Once that gentle version was familiar, adults began lending it to real children who look sweet and sit still. Same word, three distances from the original .
From the word’s history
Wiktionary traces cherub from Middle English cherub/cherubin, through Old English cerubin and Latin cherūbīm, from Ancient Greek kheroubím, from Hebrew k'ruvím. The same source notes that later texts changed the figure into a winged baby, which is the route from the guardian to the art cherub.
cherub 從希伯來文 כְּרוּבִים 經古希臘文、拉丁文、古英文、中古英文一路進到現代英文。同一份資料也記下：在後來的文本裡，這個形象被改成長翅膀的嬰兒。這正好說明守衛怎麼變成畫裡的小天使。
Wiktionary entry 'cherub' (noun), source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:324757727:41554, supplied verbatim in the evidence packet
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