Kloostri

Kloostri is the Estonian genitive singular form of the noun klooster, meaning "of the monastery." Klooster is a loanword borrowed from Dutch klooster (ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root) and entered Estonian through historical church and monastic contacts. In modern usage, kloostri is primarily used to indicate possession, appearing in phrases such as kloostri aed (the monastery's yard) and kloostri kirik (the monastery church). The form is common in historical, ecclesiastical, and archival contexts, and it can also occur in toponymy and texts describing monastic property or institutions.

As a noun, klooster follows Estonian declension patterns for non-native loanwords. The nominative singular is klooster, and the genitive singular is kloostri. The nominative plural is kloostrid, with plural genitive forms being less frequent in everyday language. In practice, speakers commonly rely on the genitive singular kloostri when expressing possession related to monasteries, even in plural contexts.

The term reflects the long-standing influence of monastic institutions on Estonian vocabulary and landscape. In English, kloostri is typically translated as "of the monastery" and is most often found in historical narratives, architectural descriptions, and church records rather than in casual contemporary speech.