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Subject:
From:
Jim Follett <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
The listserv where the buildings do the talking <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:07:08 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
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Hope it's better than the "Home, School, and Office" addition I have, I
think its a couple hundred thousand words short.

-----Original Message-----
From: The listserv where the buildings do the talking
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bruce
Marcham
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 9:54 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [BP] narthex

Hold on there, Ruth. 

From my just-purchased (at the famous Friends of the Tompkins County
Public Library used book sale in Ithaca, NY) "New College Edition of The
American Heritage Dictionary Of The English Language;" edited by William
Morris; published by Houghton Mifflin Company; 1976 edition; they say:

nar*thex  noun, Architecture  1.  A portico or lobby of an early
Christian or Byzantine church or basilica, originally separated from the
nave by a railing or screen.  2.  Any church entrance hall leading to
the nave.  [Medieval Greek NARTHEX, "enclosure," originally "casket,"
"box" made in ancient times of hollow stems of giant fennel), from the
Greek narthex, giant fennel, from Sanskrit NARDA.]  

The dictionary even shows a floor plan of the Troyes Cathedral, France,
with the entry vestibule (my terminology) highlighted.

Sounds like this is a great opportunity for some more class/religious
warfare in this political season.  Reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw
this summer on a one-ton dually pickup in our rural upstate New York
community (I don't remember if the plates on the truck were NY or VT)
that said something to the effect of "real Vermonters know shit is for
spreading, not packing."  

A little tension up there in Vermont these days?  Too many Citiots and
Massholes skewing the demographic? 

Bruce, Never Met Used Technology Book He Couldn't Use, Marcham


-----Original Message-----
From: The listserv where the buildings do the talking
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bowman,
Camille
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 8:46 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [BP] narthex

Being raised in the Anglican or Episcopal Church, I'm quite familiar
with the term "narthex." Anglicans and Catholics use a lot of terms that
others don't use, so I believe it could be interchangeable with other
faiths.  As I Googled, there are many entries that explain this, and
they seem to be Catholic and Anglican entries, which makes sense --
they're the ones with the funny terms. Here's a good explanation:

Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the
western end of the nave Nave

Links to full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are
also found at the entry Cathedral diagram [i] ... 

, at the far end from the church's main altar Altar

An altar is any structure upon which sacrifice [i]s or other offerings
are offered for religious purpose ... 

. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was
not considered part of the church proper. It was either an indoor area
separated from the nave Nave

Links to full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are
also found at the entry Cathedral diagram [i] ... 

 by a screen or rail, or an external structure such as a porch. The
purpose of the narthex was to allow those not eligible for admittance
into the general congregation to hear and partake in the service. The
narthex would often include a baptismal font Baptismal font

A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for the baptism
[i] of children and adults. ... 

 so that infants could be baptized there before entering the nave, and
to remind other believers of their baptisms as they gathered to worship.



Camille Agricola Bowman
Easement Technical Advisor
Tidewater Region Preservation Office
Department of Historic Resources
14415 Old Courthouse Way
Newport News, Virginia 23608
Tel: 757-886-2807 (NOTE: New Number)
Fax: 757-886-2808

-----Original Message-----
From: The listserv where the buildings do the talking
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ruth Barton
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 12:28 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [BP] narthex

Well, it's all settled now!!!!!  Webster's doesn't even mention NARTHEX,
but they do give a definition of VESTIBULE.  If Webster doesn't mention
it it ain't worth usin' the word, now is it?

Thanks to all who helped to enlighten me on this word.  I shall use it
for my amunition.  Ruth
--
Ruth Barton
[log in to unmask]
Dummerston, VT

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