Etymology

abbess

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Today it means: A female superior or governess of a nunnery, or convent of nuns, having the same authority over the nuns which the abbots have over the monks. Full definition →

First used First attested around 1150 to 1350Middle English abbesse ← Old French abeesse ← Latin abbātissa
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The story

  1. Proto-Afroasiatic*ʔab-
  2. Proto-Semitic*ʔabw-
  3. Aramaicאַבָּא (ʾabbā)
  4. Ancient Greekἀββα (abba)
  5. Ancient Greekἀββᾶς (abbâs)
  6. Latinabbās
  7. Latinabbātissa
  8. Old Frenchabeesse
  9. Middle Englishabbesse
  10. English todayabbess

From Middle English abbesse, from Old French abeesse (French abbesse), from Late Latin or Ecclesiastical Latin abbatissa, feminine of Latin abbas, abbatis (“abbot”).

Words from the same roots

Latinabbas all →

abbotabbéabthaneCerne AbbasMilton Abbas

First known use, by meaning

  • First attested around 1150 to 1350 A female superior or governess of a nunnery, or convent of nuns, having the same authority over the nuns which the abbots have over the monks.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.