Where does “minster” come from?
Minster comes from Old English mynster, from Latin monasterium, from Ancient Greek μοναστήριον, ultimately derived from Ancient Greek μόνος meaning alone.
minster (English): A monastic church; A cathedral church without any...
Definitions
- A monastic church; A cathedral church without any...
Ancestry of “minster”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mynster | Alternative form of ministre |
| 2 | Old English | mynster | monastery, nunnery, mother church, cathedral |
| 3 | Latin | monastērium | monastery |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μοναστήριον | solitary dwelling, hermit's cell; monastery |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μόνος | alone, forsaken, solitary; only; unique |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | σπέρμα | seed; semen, sperm; seed-time, sowing |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | *spérmə | — |