Cathedrae

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A chair, particularly one of authority, used in a place of worship or education
2. An ecclesiastical or academic seat symbolizing power, often elaborately designed
3. A distinguished or ceremonial chair signifying leadership within a religious or educational context

Etymology: "Cathedrae" is simply the plural of "cathedra," so its story is really the story of the singular form. The Latin "cathedra" meant "seat," and it came from Ancient Greek "kathedra," a compound of "kata," meaning "down," and "hedra," meaning "seat." The sense in Greek was a chair of a teacher or a throne, so the notion of a seat set down firmly in a place of authority was present from the start. "Cathedra" is a doublet of "chair" and "chaise," meaning that all three descend from the same ancient source but reached English and French by different routes. The plain, everyday "chair" took one path, while the Latin-derived "cathedra" was preserved as a more formal borrowing. Its ceremonial associations, especially the bishop's throne in a church, gave the word its grander flavour, which is why "cathedrae" in the plural suggests a set of seats of power rather than ordinary furniture.