Norbertine

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A member of a Roman Catholic religious order founded by St. Norbert that emphasizes communal living and liturgical prayer
2. Relating to the religious community that follows the rule established by St. Norbert, focusing on a life of service and prayer
3. Pertaining to the monastic tradition of an order dedicated to preaching, teaching, and pastoral care within a community life setting

Etymology: Norbertine is named after Norbert of Xanten, a German churchman born around 1080 who founded the Premonstratensian order at Prémontré, in northern France, in 1120. The name is tied to that founding. Norbert was a canon who gave up a worldly life after a conversion experience and set out to reform clerical life, and his followers took their name from the place where the community began. Members of the order came to be called by his name in the English-speaking world, and "Norbertine" is the usual term for them, while "Premonstratensian" remains the formal name of the order. The word therefore records a person rather than a place or a Latin phrase. Norbert was canonized in 1582, and the adjective-style form in English is a modern formation on his name, built with the suffix "-ine," which English uses to make adjectives and nouns from personal names. Its use as a noun for a member of the order follows the same pattern, so a Norbertine is simply someone belonging to Norbert's community.