Peristylum

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A covered area that is bordered by a series of columns surrounding an open courtyard or garden space
2. A courtyard or garden space surrounded by a continuous row of columns and covered walkways
3. An architectural feature consisting of a colonnade encircling an open central court or garden

Etymology: Ancient Greek builders gave this feature its name from two parts: "peri", meaning "around", and "stylos", meaning "column" or "pillar". A peristylum was therefore simply a ring of columns standing around something, and in Roman houses that something was usually an open courtyard or garden, with the colonnade running along all four sides and sheltering the rooms behind it. English took the word directly from Latin "peristylum", which the Romans had borrowed from the Greek "peristylon" (a noun formed from the same two roots). The term describes a specific architectural arrangement rather than a loose idea, so it has stayed largely within the vocabulary of archaeologists, architectural historians and classicists, who use it when describing the layout of ancient Pompeian and Roman houses.