almoner

almoner
/al"meuh neuhr, ah"meuh-/, n.
1. a person whose function or duty is the distribution of alms on behalf of an institution, a royal personage, a monastery, etc.
2. Brit.
a. a hospital official who determines the amount due for a patient's treatment.
b. a social worker in a hospital.
[1250-1300; ME almoiner, aumoner (with insertion of l under influence of ALMS) < OF aumon(i)er LL eleemosynarius ELEEMOSYNARY]

* * *

▪ European history
      originally, an officer responsible for distributing alms to the poor, usually connected with a religious house or other institution but also a position with some governments. In the 13th century, almoners were attached to the French court to distribute the royal alms, and in 1486 the office of grand almoner of France was established. The grand almoner was a high ecclesiastical dignitary who was in charge of the clergy attached to the court and who supervised charitable works. The office was suppressed in France in 1790, revived by Napoleon I and again by Napoleon III, and finally abolished in 1870.

      In England the offices of hereditary grand almoner and high almoner still exist, as part of the Queen's Household. The high almoner, usually a bishop or other prelate, distributes the royal alms on Maundy Thursday.

      In modern times the term almoner has also been used in Britain for a trained social worker, usually a woman, qualified to work in a medical setting. In this sense “almoner” was superseded in 1964 by the title medical social worker, the term also used in the United States. Medical social workers are employed by hospitals and public health departments.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Almoner — (from the Greek ελεημοσύνη, westernized as eleemosyna, alms via Latin Almosunartius and French, known in English since circa 1300) is a chaplain or church officer who originally was in charge of distributing charity. Historically, almoners were… …   Wikipedia

  • Almoner — Al mon*er ([a^]l m[u^]n*[ e]r), n. [OE. aumener, aulmener, OF. almosnier, aumosnier, F. aum[^o]nier, fr. OF. almosne, alms, L. eleemosyna. See {Alms}.] 1. One who distributes alms, esp. the doles and alms of religious houses, almshouses, etc.;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • almoner — index contributor (giver) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • almoner — (n.) official distributor of alms on behalf of another, c.1300 (mid 13c. as a surname), from O.Fr. almosnier (12c.; Mod.Fr. aumônerie), from V.L. *almosinarius, from L.L. elemosinarius (adj.) connected with alms, from eleemosyna alms (see ALMS… …   Etymology dictionary

  • almoner — [al′mən ər, ä′mənər] n. [ME almoiner < OFr almosnier < almosne, act of mercy < LL(Ec) * alemosyna < eleemosyna: see ALMS] a distributor of alms, as for a church, royal family, etc …   English World dictionary

  • Almoner — Almosenier (auch Almosener oder Almosner, lateinisch eleemosynarius, französisch aumônier, englisch almoner, italienisch elemosiniere, elemosiniero, spanisch limosnario, limosnero) ist die Bezeichnung eines weltlichen oder kirchlichen Amtsträgers …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Almoner — An official who dispensed Alms for some other person or institution, e.g. the king and queen each had an almoner, as would a religious house; an alms giver. Robert Mannyng (c.1330) uses aumenere in Handlyng Synne: Seynt John, the aumenere . [< …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

  • almoner — noun /ˈæl.mə.nɚ/ a) one who distributes alms, especially the doles and alms of religious houses, almshouses; b) one who dispenses alms for another, as the almoner of a prince, bishop <! material copied from Websters Revised Unabridged… …   Wiktionary

  • almoner — [[t]ɑ͟ːmənə(r), AM æ̱lm [/t]] almoners N COUNT In Britain, an almoner is a social worker who works in a hospital. [OLD FASHIONED] …   English dictionary

  • Almoner — corded purse of silk or leather attached to a girdle or belt used to keep alms ♦ Official appointed to distribute alms. (Gies, Joseph and Francis. Life in a Medieval Castle, 299) Member of the priest’s staff in court or in a castle, responsible… …   Medieval glossary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”