'abbotship' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'abbotshipe', where 'abbot' referred to the head of a monastery and '-ship' denoted a state or condition.

'abbotshipe' transformed into the modern English word 'abbotship' through the influence of Old English and Latin.

Initially, it meant 'the office or position of an abbot', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.