Abbot

In the ancient monastic sources (Apophthegmata Patrum, Historia Monachrum In Aegypto, Palladius Historia Lausiaca, etc.), the name of a monk is generally preceded by the Greek word abbas or abba, the cognate of the Coptic apa (Sahidic) or abba (Bohairic), the Arabic aba or anba. This is clearly the Aramaic and Syriac ab in its emphatic state, abba, "father." (It is also attested, less frequently, in the feminine, in the form ammas or amma, corresponding to the Syriac ‘em, ‘emma, "mother.")