MONASTERY (Lat. monaderium, from Gk. pavaarhptov, monastery, solitary dwelling, from povaarr,s, in (mast r's, solitary man, monk, from poid'ems, mt,nrncin, to dwell alone, from izbros, Ja0a0M. single). The generic name of the resi dence of any body of men or even. though more rarely, of women) bound by monastic vows. In it strict application. it is confined to the houses of 'minks properly so called, but is frequently used of the establishments of the mendicant and more modern orders. The older namasteries were divided into two great classes, abbeys and pri ories. The former name was given only to the important or mother houses, governed by an abbot. W110 was commonly assisted by a prior. sub-prior, and other functionaries. An abbey al ways imitated a church, and the English %vont minster. still applied to churches no longer part of a monastic establishment, had its origin in the Latin im»mstcrium. A priory supposed a less extensive and less numerous community. It was governed by a prior, and was originally subject to the jurisdiction of an abbey. This was the Benedictine rule; but in other orders, such as the Carthusian, the title of prior was uniformly used instead of abbot. In the military orders
the names commandery and preceptory were used instead of abbey ti ml priory. The name cloister is sometimes applied to the whole monastery. considered as all inclosed place; the term is also used, in a narrower sense, to designate the ar eadvd ambulatory which runs around the inner court of the buildings. Below the officials men Dialed above, the ortlinary monks were generally divided into two great classes: choir brothers (frequently, in later times almost universally. in holy orders), so called because they were required and by their education qualified to take part in the singing of the choir oflires, :Ind lay brothers, who, instead of this duty, had the household earcs of the community. For the principles of monastic life and the history of its devoloinnent, SO' ..\10N AST1C1$11; and. for the important part played by in the growth of arehitecthre and its kindred arts, see :NlONASTle ART.