Antependium

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌæntɪˈpɛndi.əm/

Definitions

1. A decorative textile covering situated before an altar enhances its appearance and often carries religious significance
2. A decorative fabric or cloth that is positioned in front of an altar, often serving both an aesthetic and symbolic purpose in a religious context
3. A richly adorned cloth placed in front of a church altar to beautify the sacred space and signify reverence

Etymology: The altar cloth that hangs at the front of a church is named for its position: "ante", meaning "before", joined to "pendere", "to hang". The pieces are Latin, so the word describes exactly what it is, a hanging placed in front of the altar. Its English form is a direct borrowing from Latin, arriving with the vocabulary of ecclesiastical writing rather than through everyday speech. Because the word is built so transparently, a reader who knows "pendant" or "pendulum" can see the same root at work. Those words likewise come from "pendere", and the family shares the idea of something suspended. The antependium is simply the cloth suspended in front, while the altar it covers remains the focus of the room.