Caryatid

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌkɛəɹiˈætɪd/

Definitions

1. A decorative, often female figure carved to serve as an architectural support in place of a column or post
2. A sculptural representation of a woman that acts as a structural support in various buildings and architectural designs
3. A carved figure of a woman used to uphold parts of a building rather than a plain pillar

Etymology: Ancient Greeks in the town of Karyai, in Laconia, held a festival for Artemis in which young women danced while carrying baskets or water jars on their heads. Their dancing was so distinctive that the town's name gave rise to a verb, "karuatizo," meaning to dance the Karyatid festival dance, and the women themselves were called "karuatides." The name then moved from dancers to architecture. Greek builders carved female figures to stand where columns would normally go, bearing the weight of a roof or entablature on their heads. The Greek plural "karuatides" passed through Latin "caryatides" and into Middle French "cariatide," and English later borrowed the word from French. The sculptures' connection to the dancers is the key link: the figures are not plain supports but women shaped to look as if they are carrying loads, much as the festival dancers did. The word therefore preserves a ritual image inside a building term.

Synonyms: architectural figure, column figure, supporting figure, statue, ornament