English
minster
Minster comes from Middle English mynster ‘monastery’, from Ancient Greek μοναστήριος ‘alone, made alone’, and ultimately from Proto-Hellenic *mónwos.
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*mónwosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμόνοςmónos‘alone’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμονάζωmonázō‘to be alone’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμοναστήριος‘alone, made alone’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμοναστήριονmonastḗrion‘monastery’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmonastērium‘monastery’
- Old Englishc. 450–1150mynster‘monastery, nunnery, mother church, cathedral’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘monastery’
- Englishearliest quotation 2014minster
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*mónwosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμόνοςmónos‘alone’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμονάζωmonázō‘to be alone’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμοναστήριος‘alone, made alone’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμοναστήριονmonastḗrion‘monastery’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmonastērium‘monastery’
- Old Englishc. 450–1150mynster‘monastery, nunnery, mother church, cathedral’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘monastery’
- Englishearliest quotation 2014minster
Earliest quotation: 2014, Jane Gardam, Give us a bishop in high heels [print version: “Give us a hi: “[F]urther south in Kent, there was St. Mildred, whose…”
Linked words
through Ancient Greek μόνος ‘alone’
monk, munch, monolith, monochromatic, monad, monism, 14 more
through Latin monastērium ‘monastery’
Today it means
noun A monastic church.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Hellenic *mónwos / minster