Lathinge

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The framework of thin narrow strips of wood fixed to walls or ceilings to hold plaster, tiles or slates in place
2. A base made of slender wooden strips nailed across a structure so that plaster or roofing material can be attached to it
3. Thin wooden slats set in a series across a frame to provide a support surface for plaster, slate or tile work

Etymology: In medieval building, a "lathinge" was the framework of thin wooden strips, called laths, that held plaster or clay. Before plaster could cover a wall or ceiling, carpenters nailed these narrow strips across the studs, leaving gaps so the wet plaster would grip and bind to them. The hidden lattice was the whole point of the work, so the material and the finished structure came to share one name. The base word "lath" goes back to Old English "lætt" and comes from a Germanic root that also gave German "Latte" and Dutch "lat," all meaning a thin strip of wood. The ending "-ing" turns the noun into a collective term for the strips taken together, much as "roofing" names the material of a roof. Spellings in medieval texts varied widely, so "lathinge" is one of several forms of the same word, and "lathing" is the standard modern spelling.