brightshade

Comments by brightshade

• brightshade commented on the word trivet

  What do you call a trivet without legs? Ok, sounds like a bad joke but my family referred to anything you put under a hot dish or pan or pot (that is, anything bigger than a coaster) as a trivet. Looking at the pictures, where there are various woven pads and ceramic tiles, it seems to be a common usage.

  What should we properly call a legless trivet?

  March 30, 2010

• brightshade commented on the word gyrovague

  Wandering, itinerant monks "without fixed residence or leadership, who relied on charity and the hospitality of others." (Wikipedia, that not-always-reliable-source). Featured on episode #1124 of NPR's Says You.

  June 23, 2009

• brightshade commented on the word esonarthex

  In orthodox churches, the "inner narthex" between the outer porch and the body of the church proper.

  June 7, 2009

• brightshade commented on the word warden

  I was once Junior Warden at an Episcopal church -- much to the amusement of local law enforcement, who thought it was the silliest title ever. while the attached definition (who gets to make these?), the job is not only in law enforcement.

  Here's the Oxford American English Dictionary definition; what with it's English roots, it gives more weight to the Anglican role of wardens:

  a person responsible for the supervision of a particular place or thing or for ensuring that regulations associated with it are obeyed : the warden of a local nature reserve | an air-raid warden.

  • the head official in charge of a prison.

  • a churchwarden.

  • Brit. the head of certain schools, colleges, or other institutions.

  DERIVATIVES

  wardenship |-ˌ sh ip| |ˈwɔrdnˈʃɪp| noun

  ORIGIN Middle English (originally denoting a guardian or protector): from Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French wardein, variant of Old French guarden ‘guardian.’

  June 7, 2009

• brightshade commented on the word dalmatic

  Woof! The same root as "Dalmation," though I doubt Disney's going to make a movie of 101 Dalmatics!

  noun

  a wide-sleeved, long, loose vestment open at the sides, worn by deacons and bishops, and by some monarchs at their coronation.

  ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French dalmatique or late Latin dalmatica, from dalmatica (vestis) ‘(robe) of (white) Dalmatian wool,’ from Dalmaticus ‘of Dalmatia.’

  (Oxford American English Dictionary)

  It's a curious vestment in that it's worn by deacons and bishops but not by priests. I wonder if the dalmatic is indicative of the special relationship between deacons and bishops.

  June 7, 2009

• brightshade commented on the word asperge

  Verb, to asperge, to sprinkle with holy water (using an aspergillum, of course!).

  Evidently form the first word of the Latin text of Psalms 50(51):9 (literally ‘thou shalt purge’ ), recited before Mass during the sprinkling of holy water. Or so says the OAED.

  June 7, 2009

• brightshade commented on the word cincture

  In many churches, the cincture is a rope belt (often white) tied about the waist over an alb. I was going to say "not flat" but some cassocks use a flat cincture.

  In a number of monastic orders (such as the Society of Saint John the Evangelist), there are knots tied at the end of the cincture -- the number of knots indicates the 'rank' of the monk or novice.

  June 7, 2009

• brightshade commented on the word homily

  Is a homily generally perceived as shorter than a sermon?

  I once heard a very short sermon/homily by the Most. Rev. Frank Griswold described (humorously, not as if it were a "real" word) as a "homilini" :)

  June 7, 2009

• brightshade commented on the word corporal

  Also a word from Christian liturgy: "a cloth on which the chalice and paten are placed during the celebration of the Eucharist.

  ORIGIN Middle English : from medieval Latin corporale (pallium) ‘body (cloth),’ from Latin corpus, corpor- ‘body.’ (Oxford American English Dictionary)

  In practice, it is the white linen cloth that is laid atop the altar (above the fair linen that covers the whole altar) that functions as the "landing pad" for the Holy Spirit -- that is, it defines the particular space where the wine and bread are being consecrated; an extra loaf of bread not intended to be consecrated will be set to the side and not on the corporal

  June 7, 2009

• brightshade commented on the word predella

  1 a step or platform on which an altar is placed.

  2 a raised shelf above an altar.

  • a painting or sculpture on this, typically forming an appendage to an altarpiece.

  ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from Italian, literally ‘stool.’

  (New Oxford American Dictionary)

  June 7, 2009