Anchorite
/ˈæŋ.kə.raɪt/noun
A person who withdraws from society for religious solitude, especially a medieval recluse.
Did you know?Anchorite comes through Greek from a verb meaning “to withdraw” or “retire,” and its medieval meaning was so extreme that some were ceremonially enclosed in a cell for life.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gher-
“to enclose, enclose in a space”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀναχωρεῖν (anachōreîn)
“to withdraw, retreat, go back”
Late Greek
Greek
ἀναχωρητής (anachōrētḗs)
“one who withdraws; a recluse”
Late Latin
Latin
anachoreta
“a hermit, recluse”
Old French
Old French
anacorete
“a religious recluse”
Middle English
English
ancre / ankerite
“a hermit or religious recluse”
Modern English
English
anchorite
“a person living in religious seclusion”
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