[imardmd1]

Very good way to express the hijacking of the earthly "church" identity to reprogram it as the Roman Empire's religious organ, ruled by a Nicolaitan* elite aristocratic Gentile clergy.

(Which it has been ever since.)
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* From νικάω (nee-kah-oh) to overwhelm, and λαός (lah-awss) the lay people

[Cronos]

imardmd1 - then name Νικόλαος (Nikolaos) does indeed come from:

• νικάω (nikao): "to conquer," "to prevail," or "to be victorious."
• λαός (laos): "the people."

however, this does not mean "conquering the people." It means "Victory of the people" or "Victorious among the people." It is a common "triumphant" name, much like Nike (Victory) or Demosthenes (Strength of the people).

If you wanted to create a Greek word meaning "to conquer the laity," it would follow a different grammatical structure. it would be Laokratos (Λαοκράτος) or Laonikos (Λαόνικος)

furthermore, "Nicolaitan" refers to the followers of a specific person named Nicolas. In the Book of Acts (6:5), a man named Nicolas of Antioch, a proselyte to Judaism and then a convert to Christianity, was chosen as one of the seven deacons.

According to Irenaeus (Against Heresies, Book I, Chapter 26), the Nicolaitans were not criticized for their "church hierarchy" , but for Antinomianism. They taught that because they were saved by grace, they could eat food sacrificed to idols and engage in sexual immorality without sinning.

"The Nicolaitanes are the followers of that Nicolas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate... They lead lives of unrestrained indulgence." — Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses

So, imardmd1 -- your statement is also false - DOUBLY false - it doesn't mean what you say linguistically, and the Nicolaitians weren't clergy over the laity.Just think, imardmd1 - the history and theology you are taught has such lies, what else have the pastors etc. kept from you? perhaps it is time for you to believe Jesus's words in John 6?