Chancel

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈtʃɑːnsəl/

Definitions

1. The part of a church containing the altar, typically separated from the nave by a screen or steps and reserved for the clergy and choir
2. A designated area within a church where the altar is located, often elevated or separated from the main worship space, primarily intended for clergy and choir activities
3. An enclosed or distinct section of a church that houses the altar and is generally reserved for clergy, providing a space for specific religious functions

Etymology: The chancel is the part of a church around the altar, often separated from the nave by a screen or rails, and its name began as a barrier. It comes from Old French "chancel," which came from Latin "cancellus," meaning a lattice or grating. Latin speakers used the plural "cancelli" for the crossed wooden bars that enclosed a space, and a space fenced off in this way was the sense that carried into church architecture. English took the word from Old French, so its origin is a lattice fence rather than anything specifically religious. The same Latin root produced "cancel," which originally meant to cross out with a pattern of crossed lines, the way a grating crosses a gap. Because "chancel" and "cancel" come from one Latin source by separate routes, they are doublets, two English words descended from the same ancestor.

Synonyms: sanctuary, apse