Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

BULWARK, (Fr.) boulevart, (Dan.) bollverk; boll, a globe or circular

work.

CAMP, (Lat.) campus, a plain.

FORT, (Lat.) fortis, strong.

PARAPET, (Gr. Lat.) rapá and pectus, i.e. as high as the breast.'

QUARTERS, (Lat.) quartus, quatuor, the Roman camp was divided

into four parts.

TENT, (Lat.) tendere, to stretch.

TRENCH, (Lat.) trans, across, and scindere, to cut.

AMBUSCADE, (It.) imboscare, bosco, (Fr.) bois, (Eng.) bush.

BIVOUAC, (Ger) bei-wachen, to watch.

ESCALADE, (Fr.) eschelle, a ladder.

FLANK, either (Gr.) λayúr, or (A.-S.) lengian; thence be-lank, p-lank, flank.

REAR, (Fr.) arrière, (Lat.) retro.

VAN, (Fr.) avant, (Lat.) ante, before.

MARCH, (Fr.) marcher, i. e. monter-à-cheval, from (Bret.) marc'h, a horse.-Wedgewood.

RETREAT, (Lat.) re-trahere, to draw back.

SIEGE, (Lat.) sedere, to sit.

CHALLENGE, (Lat.) c umniari, to calumniate.

CALIBRE, either from Calabria, or (Fr.) qualibre qua libra (Lat.) æquilibrium.

COMMISSARIAT, (Lat.) committere, to entrust.

DONJON, (Lat.) dominium, dominus, (A.-S.) deman, to subdue.
FORAGE, (Lat.) foris, abroad; agere, to collect.

FODDER, (Low Lat.) foderum, (A.-S.) fodre, fother pabulum, from

fedan, to feed.

LEDGER, (A.-S.) lecgan, to lie. A book that lies

entries.

STORES, (A.-S.) styrian, to move.

open for immediate

RUM (Erse), a cant word for a poor country parson; it means kill-devil,

GIN, (Fr.) genièvre, or juniper, or Geneva.

BRANDY, (A.-S.) brand or burned (wine).

WHISKEY, (C.), corrupted from usquebaugh, or water of life.
BISCUIT, (Lat.) bis coctus, twice cooked.

CHAPTER XVII.

ECCLESIASTICAL TERMS.

§ 1.

ABBEY, (Hebrew) a community governed by an abbot. Abba means father.

CATHEDRAL, (Gr.) Kaféèpa= from the bishop's chair or throne.
CONVENT, (Lat.) convenire, to assemble.

CHAPTER, (Lat.) caput, the head: an assembly of 'heads,' or chapter of the church.

CHURCH, (Gr.) Kupiov olкos = the House of the Lord, rò kupiakóv.

CHAPEL, (Lat.) capella, a shrine.

CLOISTER, (Lat.) claustrum, a barrier, from claudere, to shut.

MINSTER, (Lat.) monasterium, an abode of monks.

§ 2.

ARCHBISHOP, (Gr.) ȧpxì-iτioкоños chief overseer.

BISHOP, vide chap. XV.

DEAN, vide chap. XV.

CANON, vide chap. XV.

PRIEST, vide chap. XV.

PARSON, vide chap. XV.

CLERK, vide chap. XV.

ACOLYTE, an attendant, (Gr.) ároλovéw, to follow.

SEXTON, vide chap. XV.

VERGER, one that beareth a staff or rod; (Lat.) virga.

MONK, (Gr.) póvos, alone, solitary.

NUN, (A.-S.) nonné, (It.) nonna, a grandmother. The first nuns would naturally be elderly women; possibly a Coptic word meaning chaste.'

6

FRIAR, (Lat.) frater, brother.

DEACON, vide chap. XV.

HERMIT, (Gr.) epnuos, the desert.

CHURCHWARDEN, the guardian of the church.
SIDESMAN, said to be a corruption of 'synod's man,' from the ancient
custom of electing three laymen to represent the parish in
'synod.'

§ 3.

AISLE, (Lat.) ala, the wing or side of a church.

BELFRY, (Fr.) beffroi, a watch-tower.

CHANCEL, a cancellis, because cancelli, or bars, separated it from the area of the church.

CHOIR, (Gr.) Xopóc, (Lat.) chorus, a multitude of singers, or dancers. NAVE, (A.-S.) nafa, the concave centre or body of a church; hence also navel; possibly from navis, a ship, the symbol of the church.

PEW, (DUTCH) puye, possibly (Lat) podium, an elevated place or balcony.

PULPIT, (Fr) poulpitre, (Lat.) pulpitum, a raised place.

STEEPLE, (A.-S.) steopl, a tower, or steeple, perhaps from A.-S. steáp, precipitous.

VESTRY, the place where sacred robes were kept; (Lat.) vestis, a garment.

FONT, (Lat.) fons, fountain.

ALB, (Lat.) albus, white.

CHALICE, (Lat.) calix.

§ 4.

CHASUBLE, (Low Lat.) casula, dim. of casa, a house.

COPE, (Low Lat) capa, or cappa, a cloak.

COWL, (Lat.) cucullus.

GOWN, (Welsh) gwn.

SURPLICE, (Lat.) super pelliceum; super, over, pellis, skin.

PATEN, (Lat.) patina, a plate, or dish.

ROCHET, (Lat.) rochettum, (A.S.) roc, a shirt or short-sleeved alb.
TUNICLE, (Lat.) tunicella, a little tunic.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]
[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors]

EPIPHANY, (Gr.) ἐπιφάνεια = manifestation; the manifestation of
Christ to the Gentiles.

SEPTUAGESIMA, (Gr.) 70th; really sixty-four days before Easter.
Sexagesima, (Gr.) 60th; really fifty-seven days before Easter.
QUINQUAGESIMA, (Gr.) 50th; really fifty days before Easter.
ASH WEDNESDAY. On this day anciently penitents presented them-
selves in church with ashes sprinkled on their heads.

LENT, (A.-S.) lencten spring.

dati

[ocr errors]

MAUNDAY THURSDAY, the day before Good Friday, from dies manthe day of the commandment,' either because Christ commanded 'the washing of feet,' or because he commanded the observance of the Eucharist.

EASTER, (A.-S.) Eastre.

Eostur-monath,' says Bede, which is now called the Paschal month, had its name from a goddess called Eostre, and to whom they at that time used to celebrate festivals.' This goddess is supposed to be the same as Ashtaroth, or Venus. Others take it immediately from East, q.v.; others from (A.-S.) arisan, to arise.

ROGATION DAYS. Days for special 'litanies,' or supplications; (Lat. rogo, to ask.

LITANY, (Gr.) λιτανεία from λίττεσθαι, to pray.

LITURGY, (Gr.)λɛcroupyia=a public work; λeiror, public, ep yov, work. EMBER WEEKS, (A.-S.) ymbyrne a revolution, or circuit, e. g. yeares

ymbyrne = a year's course. In the Anglo-Saxon we find for these fasts of the four seasons, ymbyrne dægas, ymbren festen, ymbren wucan.

PENTECOST, (Gr.). Fifty days after Easter bring us to this festival, I called in the Christian church

WHITSUNDAY. This was a stated time for baptism in the ancient church, and the baptized put on white garments.

§ 6.

APOSTLE, a messenger; (Gr.) ȧTOOTÉλλw, to send.

HERETIC, one who chooses his own doctrines; (Gr.) aipėïolaι, to choose. FAST, (Goth.) fastan; (A.-S.) fæstan, to observe, or keep.

FEAST, (Lat.) festus, festal, or joyous.

MASS, either from the concluding words of the service, ite, missa est, or from the Hebrew misach, almsgiving.

PARISH, (Gr.) Tapá, oikos, i. e. a contiguous dwelling. PAGAN, (Lat.) paganus = a villager. 'When the Roman empire was converted to Christianity, religion did first take place in the cities; this word, signifying a country people, came to be used in common speech for the same that infidels and unbelievers were.'-Hooker.

HEATHEN = dwellers on the heath, same as pagan.

PALL, (Lat.) pallium, a cloak, whence palliate.

PREACH, (Lat.) prædicare.

SAINT, (Lat.) sanctus, holy.

SHRINE, (Lat.) scrinium, a basket, or chest, in which books, writings, or other secret things were deposited.

SACRAMENT, (Lat.) sacramentum, an oath.

SYNOD, (Lat.) synodus; (Gr.) oúrodos, a convention.

N. or M., in the baptismal service, in answer to the question, 'What is your name?' are said to be the initials of the patron saints Nicholas and Mary.

DIOCESE, (Gr.) dioiktir, to dwell apart.

CHAPTER XVIII.

POLITICAL TERMS.

CAVALIER, ROUNDHEAD. The apprentices of London published a petition against Popery and Prelacy in 1641. Seditious cries having been raised, and the bishops assaulted on their way to Parliament, skirmishes between the malcontent apprentices and many gentlemen, who volunteered to be the king's bodyguard, were of daily occurrence. And from these contests,' says Clarendon, 'the two terms of Roundhead and Cavalier grew to be received in discourse, and were afterwards continued for the most succinct distinction of affections throughout the quarrel; the servants of the king being called Cavaliers, and the other of the rabble, contemned and despised under the name of Roundheads.'

« AnteriorContinuar »