Etymograph

English

monastery

Monastery comes from Ancient Greek μοναστήριον ‘hermitage, monastery’, from μοναστήριος ‘alone, made alone’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-1root named by Wiktionary
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*mónwos2reconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμόνος3mónos‘alone’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμονάζω3monázō‘to be alone’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμοναστήριος3‘alone, made alone’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμοναστήριον1monastḗrion‘hermitage, monastery’
  7. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500monastērium1
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400monastere1
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500monasterie1
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1978monastery1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English monastery
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek μόνος
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek μοναστήριον
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1978, 1976, Leszek Kołakowski: “The Church was in practice deprived of all public…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-Wiktionary, English monasteryroot named by Wiktionary
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*mónwosWiktionary, Ancient Greek μόνοςreconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμόνοςWiktionary, Ancient Greek μοναστήριονmónos‘alone’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμονάζωWiktionary, Ancient Greek μοναστήριονmonázō‘to be alone’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμοναστήριοςWiktionary, Ancient Greek μοναστήριον‘alone, made alone’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμοναστήριονWiktionary, English monasterymonastḗrion‘hermitage, monastery’
  7. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500monastēriumWiktionary, English monastery
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400monastereWiktionary, English monastery
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500monasterieWiktionary, English monastery
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1978monasteryWiktionary, English monastery. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1978, 1976, Leszek Kołakowski: “The Church was in practice deprived of all public…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *men-

music, mind, money, amount, comment, mental, remain, museum, mouth, mountain, mention, auto, min, permanent, mount, monitor, mentor, mint, maya, dementia, demonstration, imminent, monster, monetary, muse, monument, eminent, ming, prominence, mandarin, mantra, amnesty, mania, mosaic, menace, amnesia, manic, mas, eminence, summon, 121 more

through Ancient Greek μόνος ‘alone’

monk, munch, monolith, monochromatic, monad, monism, 14 more

through Medieval Latin monastērium

minster

Today it means

noun A residence for monks or others who have taken religious vows.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “monastery”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek μόνος, Ancient Greek μοναστήριον. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / monastery

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