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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