Colonnades

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of columns arranged in a row to support a structure or create a walkway, typically seen in classical architecture
2. An architectural feature consisting of multiple columns that form a covered passageway or open space
3. A linear arrangement of columns used for decorative purposes or to create a sense of openness in a building or plaza

Etymology: Colonnades get their name from the column itself: French "colonne" (from Latin "columna") plus the suffix "-ade", which French used to form nouns for a set or structure made of a repeated unit. A colonnade is, in effect, a long row of columns with a roof or entablature carried across them. The suffix is the interesting part. French "-ade" comes from Occitan "-ada" and, further back, from the Latin "-ata" and "-atus" endings, which turned a noun into a collective or a thing made of something. English borrowed the finished word from French, so it reached the language already assembled, and its ending tells you the structure is built from repetition, much as "arcade" is built from arches.

Synonyms: porticoes, arcades