The French form of 'abbey,' referring to a monastery or convent governed by an abbot or abbess.
From Old French 'abbaïe,' derived from Late Latin 'abbatia.' This is the direct French equivalent of the English word 'abbey,' showing the Norman French influence on English religious vocabulary after 1066.
The Norman Conquest of 1066 brought the French form 'abbaye' into English as 'abbey'—notice how the French dropped the extra syllable to make it more English-friendly, a common pattern with Norman French loanwords that wanted to sound more native.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.