Frieze

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfɹiːz/

Definitions

1. A horizontal decorative element, often embellished with relief work or imagery, situated at the upper portions of walls or architectural structures
2. An ornamental strip, frequently showcasing various artistic designs or carvings, positioned along the top of a wall or above entrances in buildings
3. A decorative band, usually featuring intricate designs or artwork, located at the top of walls or architectural facades

Etymology: The most striking thing about "frieze" is how many possible origins it has, and the candidates point in very different directions. One thread runs through Medieval Latin "frisium" and "frigium," a term that may have been linked to "opus Phrygium," or "work of Phrygia," a kind of embroidery from the region of central Anatolia. The Arabic "ifriz," meaning "cornice" or "king beam," is another proposed source, and a further possibility connects it to Frisia, the North Sea coast whose wool was traded across Europe. Scholars have not settled which, if any, is correct. What is clearer is the route into English. The word came from French "frise," which appears to have been borrowed from an Upper Italian form. In English it arrived in the Late Middle English period, and its earliest sense was a textile: a coarse woollen cloth, often with a raised or curled nap. The architectural meaning, a horizontal band of decoration along the upper part of a wall, developed later, probably because such bands resembled the decorated borders of cloth hangings. A separate French verb, "friser," meaning "to curl," is sometimes offered as the source, which would tie the word to the curled texture of the cloth rather than to any place or people.

Synonyms: decorative band, border, ornamentation, molding, cornice