Ogival

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈəʊɡaɪvəl/

Definitions

1. Relating to a pointed arch shape often found in Gothic architecture
2. Describing a form or style in design that features pointed curves converging at a peak, characteristic of Gothic elements
3. Having a shape marked by a pointed curve, resembling the arches found in Gothic design

Etymology: "Ogival" is a straightforward formation: the noun "ogive," meaning a pointed arch or a diagonal rib of a Gothic vault, with the adjectival suffix "-al" attached. The suffix itself has a long pedigree, passing from Latin "-alis" through Old French "-al" and into Middle English, where "-al" became a common way to turn nouns into adjectives. That is why English has so many pairs like "nation" and "national" or "form" and "formal." The noun "ogive" was borrowed from French, where it is used for the same pointed arch, and it describes a curve that rises to a point rather than a rounded top. "Ogival" therefore names exactly that profile: the sharp, soaring outline that distinguishes Gothic architecture from the semicircular arches of earlier Romanesque buildings.

Synonyms: pointed, gothic, arch, curved, vaulted