Parges

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An external layer of plaster applied to walls or ceilings for protection or aesthetic reasons
2. A mortar or stucco coat used to cover rough surfaces to enhance durability and appearance
3. A finishing coat composed of plaster or similar material used to smooth or protect masonry surfaces

Etymology: The word "parges" is simply the plural of "parge," a thin coating of plaster or mortar spread over a wall, and the plural form refers to several such coats or areas of them. The plaster itself is named for the action of throwing it on. Its ancestor is the Old French verb "porjeter" or "progeter," meaning to cast or to plaster a wall, built from "por-" ("through," from Latin "porro," "onwards") and "jeter" ("to throw"), which descends from Latin "iactare," "to hurl or scatter." The English noun was derived from the verb "parget," which in turn came from that Old French root, and it was probably influenced by "sparge," another verb meaning to sprinkle or scatter liquid. A plasterer's job, in other words, was to fling mortar at a surface, and the name of the finished coat preserves that gesture.