Lamasery
/ˈlɑː.mə.sər.i/noun
A monastery or religious settlement inhabited by Buddhist lamas, especially in Tibet or Mongolia.
Did you know?In Tibetan, lama is a religious honorific meaning roughly “superior one,” and it does not literally mean “monk,” despite how English often uses it.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Tibetan
Tibetan
bla-ma
“A spiritual teacher or revered religious master; the source of English lama.”
17th Century
English
lama
“A Tibetan Buddhist priest or teacher, borrowed through European accounts of Tibet.”
19th Century
English
lamasery
“A monastery or religious establishment for lamas; formed from lama with a suffix modeled on monastery.”
1830s
English
lamasery
“An English term used in travel writing and geographical descriptions for Tibetan or Mongolian Buddhist monasteries.”
Modern English
English
lamasery
“A monastery or settlement associated with Tibetan Buddhist clergy.”