klosterna

Klosterna is a Swedish term that serves as the definite plural form of the noun kloster, meaning the monasteries. It is used in Swedish to refer to several monasteries as a known or discussed group, often in historical, geographic, or literary contexts.

Etymology and form: The Swedish word kloster traces back to Latin claustrum, passing through medieval European languages such as Old French and German as monasteries spread across Europe. In Swedish, the definite plural klosterna is formed to indicate “the monasteries” and is commonly used when the specific monasteries are being referred to as a set.

Usage: In contemporary Swedish, klosterna appears in sentences that discuss multiple monasteries together, for example in historical writing, travel literature, or academic texts. It can denote both well-known complexes and smaller monastic houses, depending on the context.

Variants and related terms: The corresponding definite plural forms in neighboring Scandinavian languages differ: in Norwegian Bokmål the equivalent is klostrene, while Danish typically uses klostrene. Related terms include kloster (monastery) and cloister, which reflects the broader family of terms used to describe monastic establishments in various languages.

See also: Monastery, Cloister, Kloster, Klostret.