chancel
See also: Chancel
English
Alternative forms
- chauncel (archaic)
Etymology
From Old French chancel. Doublet of cancellus.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtʃɑːnsəl/
Audio (Southern England) (file) - (US) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃænsəl/
- Rhymes: -ɑːnsəl, -ænsəl
Noun
chancel (plural chancels)
- The space around the altar in a church, often enclosed, for use by the clergy and the choir. In medieval cathedrals the chancel was usually enclosed or blocked off from the nave by an altar screen.
- 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “[The Historie of Irelande […].] The Thirde Booke of the Historie of Ireland, Comprising the Raigne of Henry the Eyght: [...].”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Hunne, OCLC 55195564, pages 77–78, column 2:
- The Citizens in their rage, imagining that euery poſt in the Churche had bin one of ye Souldyers, ſhot habbe or nabbe at randon[sic – meaning random] uppe to the Roode lofte, and to the Chancell, leauing ſome of theyr arrowes ſticking in the Images.
- 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict:
- Hester Earle and Violet Wayne were moving about the aisle with bundles of wheat-ears and streamers of ivy, for the harvest thanksgiving was shortly to be celebrated, while the vicar stood waiting for their directions on the chancel steps with a great handful of crimson gladioli.
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Synonyms
- apse
- presbytery
- sanctuary
Derived terms
- chancel organ
- chancel repair liability
Translations
space around the altar in a church
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French
Alternative forms
- cancel, chanceau
Etymology
From Old French chancel, from Latin cancellus.
Noun
chancel m (plural chancels)
- chancel
Further reading
- “chancel”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Old French
Alternative forms
- cancel
Etymology
From Latin cancellus.
Noun
chancel m (oblique plural chanceaus or chanceax or chanciaus or chanciax or chancels, nominative singular chanceaus or chanceax or chanciaus or chanciax or chancels, nominative plural chancel)
- chancel
Descendants
- French: chancel, cancel, chanceau
- → Breton: kañsell
- → English: chancel, chauncel
- → Scottish Gaelic: seansal
- → Spanish: cancel