Aer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A traditional variant spelling referencing the element of air found in ancient language and poetry ; a cloth used liturgically in Eastern Christian rites to cover chalice and paten
2. An archaic or poetic form denoting the atmosphere or the gaseous substance surrounding the earth ; in Eastern Orthodox ritual, a specific altar cloth placed over sacred vessels
3. A historic term that signifies both the sky or breath in literary contexts ; a ceremonial veil in Eastern Christian practice that covers the Eucharistic elements

Etymology: In ancient Greek, "aēr" named the thick, misty air close to the earth, as opposed to "aithēr," the bright upper sky. Homer uses it for the murky air of battlefields and storms, and Latin borrowed it as "aer." English later took the Latin form for the air itself, though it survives mostly in poetry and in older spellings of "air." In Eastern Christian liturgy, the same Greek word names a veil that is draped over the paten and chalice holding the bread and wine before and during the Eucharist. The name most likely reflects the veil's function: like mist or air, it hides the sacred gifts from view while they are being prepared and consecrated. Its exact early history in liturgical use is less well documented than its classical sense, so the link is best understood as a metaphor of covering rather than a firmly recorded decision.

Synonyms: air