Abthain
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Abthain(orabthane) is anEnglishorLowland Scotsform of the middle-Latinwordabthania(Gaelicabdhaine), meaningabbacy.The exact sense of the word being lost, it was presumed to denote some ancient dignity, the holder of which was calledabthanusorabthane.
William Forbes Skene[1]holds that the correct meaning ofabthain(orabthane) is not "abbot" or "over-thane", but "abbey" or "monastery". The word has special reference to the territories of the churches and monasteries founded by the oldCelticorColumbanmonks, mostly between the mountain chain of theMounthand theFirth of Forth.Skene recommended the use of the wordsabthanyorabthanry.
Many of theseabthainspassed into the hands of laymen, and were transmitted from father to son. They paid certain ecclesiastical tributes, and seem to have closely resembled thetermonnlands of the earlyIrish Church.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^Historians of Scotland,IV;Fordun,II, 413.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "abthain".Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.