narthex
|nar-thex|
🇺🇸
/ˈnɑrθɛks/
🇬🇧
/ˈnɑːθɛks/
church entrance / vestibule
Etymology
'narthex' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'nárthēx' (νάρθηξ), where 'nárthēx' meant 'giant fennel' or 'fennel stalk'.
'narthex' passed into Late Greek/Late Latin as 'nárthēx'/'narthex' and was adopted into Medieval and later English with the architectural sense of a church vestibule.
Initially it meant 'fennel stalk', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'an entrance or vestibule of a church'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a vestibule or entrance hall, especially the enclosed porch or entrance area at the western end of an early Christian church, sometimes distinguished as an outer and inner narthex.
The congregation gathered in the narthex before the service began.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/02 06:37