monastero

Forms

monastero m (plural monasteri)^[1]

Etymology

It is learned: it is borrowed from Late Latin monastērium (“monastery”), which is from Ancient Greek μοναστήριον (monastḗrion), first “the cell of a hermit”, from μοναστής (monastḗs, “monk”).^[2][3][4][5] The Greek noun comes from μονάζω (monázō, “to live alone”), from μόνος (mónos, “alone”).^[5][6][7]

Meyer-Lübke lists the word across Romance, as French moutier, Old Occitan monestier, Spanish monasterio and Portuguese mosteiro, and sets beside it a variant *monisterium, which German Münster continues.^[8] Prati considers the word a late entry into Italian, and records Medieval Latin monesterium in a Paduan charter of 1076.^[9] Devoto explains the ending ⟨-ero⟩ as a central and southern, not Tuscan, development, and Sabatini–Coletti take ⟨monastero⟩ as a singular re-formed from the plural ⟨monasteri⟩.^[7][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is the form monesteri in a Pisan memorandum of 1230–1231, in the sense of a Catholic community of monks or nuns.^[11][3] The form monastero is first found in Dante, 1313–1319.^[11]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian used many forms: monasterio, monistero, monisterio, munistero, munisterio and monestèrio.^[4][12][13] Dante has monistero in the Purgatorio, and Boccaccio monastero and monisterio in the Decameron.^[12] Prati records monistero as Tuscan and munistero in G. Villani.^[9] The GDLI notes an old feminine plural in -a.^[14]

The word names both the buildings and the community that lives in them.^[3][10] It is also used for Buddhist and Hindu monasteries, and figuratively for a closed, austere or dull way of life.^[3][15][16]

Timeline

• 1076 – Medieval Latin monesterium is recorded in a Paduan charter.^[9]
• 1230–1231 – The form monesteri appears in a Pisan memorandum.^[11]
• 1313–1319 – Dante uses monastero.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. A monastery or convent: the building or group of buildings, often with its lands, where a community of monks, canons regular or nuns lives: un monastero benedettino.^[3][13][6]
2. The community of monks or nuns living there.^[3][10]
3. A monastery of a non-Christian religion: un monastero buddista.^[3][5][15]
4. (figurative) A secluded, austere or dull way of life or place.^[3][10][15]
5. (obsolete) The dwelling of a hermit.^[3][5]

Word family

• monasteriale

Related words

• monastico
• monaca
• monaco
• convento
• Latin monastērium
• Ancient Greek μοναστήριον (monastḗrion)

Usage notes

Strictly, a monastero houses monks or nuns, while a convento houses friars;^[10] Sabatini–Coletti call the use of convento for a monastery improper.^[10]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
4. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
5. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
6. ^ a b Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
7. ^ a b Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 673
10. ^ a b c d e f Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
11. ^ a b c d Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
12. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
13. ^ a b Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
14. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 10, 767
15. ^ a b c Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
16. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli