different between abbey vs abbie

English

Etymology

From A.D. 1250 in Middle English abbey, abbeye (“convent headed by an abbot”) (compare archaic English abbaye), itself borrowed from Old French abaïe, abbaïe, abeïe, abbeïe (Modern French abbaye) from Late Latin or Ecclesiastical Latin abb?tia, from Classical Latin abb?s (“abbot”). Doublet of abbacy. See abbot.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?æb.i/
• Rhymes: -æbi

Noun

abbey (plural abbeys)

1. The office or dominion of an abbot or abbess. [First attested around 1150 to 1350.]
2. A monastery or society of people, secluded from the world and devoted to religion and celibacy, which is headed by an abbot or abbess; also, the monastic building or buildings. [First attested around 1150 to 1350.]

3. The church of a monastery. [First attested around 1150 to 1350.]
4. (British) A residence that was previously an abbatial building.[Mid 16^th century.]

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

• cloister
• convent
• friary
• monastery
• nunnery
• priory

References

• abbey in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• bebay

Middle English

Alternative forms

• abbeye, abbeie, abbay, abbegh

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French abaie; from Late Latin or Ecclesiastical Latin abb?tia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a?b?i?(?)/, /a?bi?(?)/

Noun

abbey (plural abbeyes)

1. An abbey (a building or monastic institution).
2. The church located inside a monastery.
3. (rare) Abbotship; abbacy.

Descendants

• English: abbey
• Scots: abbey, aibey

References

• “abbeie, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-07.