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converso

lay brother

noun kon-VER-zoh Rare

Origin: From Latin conversus, 'one who has turned'.

Also means

convert

Usage Note

Converso historically denotes a lay brother in a religious order who performed manual work rather than clerical duties. In historical/Spanish contexts it can refer to a Jewish or Moorish convert to Christianity, but in Italian the religious-order sense is primary.

Examples

"Il converso lavorava nei campi del monastero."

Natural Translation

The lay brother worked in the monastery's fields.

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