Oriels

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of window structure that extends beyond a building's exterior, usually supported by brackets or cantilevers, and can serve aesthetic and functional purposes
2. A projecting window feature often seen in architectural designs, designed to let in light while enhancing the visual appeal of a facade
3. A window that protrudes from the upper stories of a building, supported by brackets or corbels to increase interior space and light

Etymology: "Oriels" is the plural of "oriel," a window that projects outward from the wall of an upper storey, usually supported on brackets or corbels so it hangs over the street or garden below. The noun descends from Old French "oriol," meaning "gallery" or "corridor," which in turn comes from Late Latin "oriolum," a word for a portico or hall. The most widely accepted guess is that this traces back to Latin "aureolus," meaning "gilded," because such a room was often decorated with gilding. The link to "oriole," the bird, comes through a shared ancestor rather than any direct descent. A less favoured alternative derives the word from Latin "os," meaning "mouth," as a diminutive, perhaps because the projecting window opens out like a mouth. That idea is uncertain, so the gilded-hall explanation remains the stronger account.