narthex
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See also: Narthex
English
Etymology
From Ancient Greek νάρθηξ (nárthēx, “giant fennel”), later ‘casket’ (modern Greek νάρθηκας (nárthikas)), a Pre-Greek word, as suggested by the suffix. See also νάρδος (nárdos, “nard”).
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈnɑɹθɛks/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈnɑːθɛks/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Noun
narthex (plural narthexes or narthices)
- (architecture) A western vestibule leading to the nave in some Christian churches.
- 1942, Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, Canongate, published 2006, page 637:
- we were in the antechamber, called the narthex, which runs across the front of any Byzantine church [...].
- 2007, Edwin Mullins, The Popes of Avignon, Blue Bridge, published 2008, page 87:
- One of these was Cardinal Jacopo Stefaneschi, [...] who had now conceived ambitious plans for paintings to decorate the entire narthex, or entrance porch, of Avignon's ancient cathedral.
- 2012, Melissa F. Miller, chapter 42, in Irretrievably Broken (The Sasha McCandless Series), e-book edition, volume 1, Brown Street Books, →ISBN, page 11642:
- “Cinco,” Marco bellowed now, hurrying across the narthex to give him a hearty handshake, which Cinco returned without enthusiasm.