Meister Eckhart

1 9.9

A German religious teacher and mystic from the 1200s known for his spiritual writings

proper noun
/ˈmaɪstər ˈɛkhɑrt/

: Maestro Eckhart

Many scholars study Meister Eckhart for his contributions to Christian mysticism.

Examples

The teachings of Meister Eckhart have influenced both Eastern and Western spiritual traditions.
The teachings of Meister Eckhart continue to inspire many today.
In her dissertation, she analyzed the sermons of Meister Eckhart in their historical context.
Did Meister Eckhart really believe in the unity of all beings?
In her dissertation, she analyzed the sermons of Meister Eckhart in their historical context.
Many scholars study Meister Eckhart for his contributions to Christian mysticism.
The teachings of Meister Eckhart have influenced both Eastern and Western spiritual traditions.

Surface Forms

Meister Eckhart main

Morphology

Meister + Eckhart

This is a personal name (a historical figure), so its referent — a specific German theologian and mystic — cannot be derived from the literal meanings of the parts. Even if a learner recognized 'Meister' as German for 'master', that partial recognition does not let a B1 learner infer the biographical meaning or specialist role, so the expression is non-compositional and unpredictable.

Etymology

Meister Eckhart was a German teacher from the 1200s: Meister means 'master' or respected teacher and Eckhart was his name. He wrote talks and short writings about deep spiritual life, and those ideas made his name well known. So today, Meister Eckhart refers to that teacher and his spiritual ideas.