Plural of abbot; religious leaders who govern monasteries or abbeys in the Christian church.
From Old English 'abbot,' derived from Late Latin 'abbatem,' which came from Aramaic 'abba' meaning 'father.' The word traveled through multiple languages as Christianity spread across Europe.
The title 'abbot' literally means 'father' in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke—so when monks called their leader 'abbot,' they were using the exact same word that meant 'father' in biblical times, showing how monastery culture echoed family structures.
Abbot (from Latin abba, father) has been an exclusively male role in Christian monasticism; the term carries male-default assumption even as some abbesses have led women's communities.
When referring to abbesses (female abbots), use 'abbess' explicitly. For mixed groups, use 'abbots and abbesses' or 'monastic leaders' to avoid male-as-default.
["abbess","monastic leaders","heads of monasteries"]
Abbesses governed substantial religious and temporal power in medieval Europe; historical records often erased them under generic 'abbot,' diminishing women's administrative authority.
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