Retable

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /rɪˈteɪbəl/

Definitions

1. A decorative framework or structure placed behind an altar that often displays religious iconography or text
2. An ornamental assembly located at the rear of an altar, contributing to the aesthetic and spiritual atmosphere of a place of worship
3. A decorative structure positioned behind an altar that frequently features religious artwork or inscriptions

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "retable" is that its Latin ancestor literally means "behind the table." A Medieval Latin "retrotabulum" was built from "retro," meaning "behind," and "tabula," meaning "table" or "board." In a medieval church, the altar table was the focal point, and the decorative panel or painted screen rising behind it took the name from that position. The word passed into French as "retable," and English borrowed it from there. Because the French form kept the same sense of a structure set behind an altar, English speakers adopted it for the same ornamental piece. The English word therefore records a simple spatial fact: the panel stood behind the table of the altar, and the name stuck to the object rather than to any idea of decoration.