Where does “monster” come from?
monster (Middle Dutch) comes from Latin monastērium, from Ancient Greek μοναστήριον, from Ancient Greek μόνος, from Ancient Greek σπέρμα, from Proto-Hellenic *spérmə.
Ancestry of “monster”, step by step
monster traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin monastērium
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | monastērium | monastery |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | μοναστήριον | solitary dwelling, hermit's cell; monastery |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | μόνος | alone, forsaken, solitary; only; unique |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | σπέρμα | seed; semen, sperm; seed-time, sowing |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | *spérmə | — |