Samaneri
/səˈmɑːnəri/noun
A female Buddhist novice who has undertaken preliminary monastic training.
Did you know?The word belongs to the ancient Buddhist vocabulary of renunciation and ultimately connects the novice’s identity with disciplined spiritual effort rather than simply with age.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śramaṇa
“An ascetic or religious renunciant; literally, one who exerts or labors spiritually.”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śrāmaṇera
“A Buddhist novice or junior renunciant, formed in relation to śramaṇa.”
Early Buddhist Sanskrit
Buddhist Sanskrit
śrāmaṇerī
“A female Buddhist novice; the feminine form of śrāmaṇera.”
Pali Canon period
Pali
sāmaṇerī
“A female novice in the Buddhist monastic community.”
Modern English
English
samaneri
“A Buddhist female novice, especially in discussions of Theravāda monastic practice.”