Stela

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈstiːlə/

Definitions

1. A tall, vertical stone column typically found in ancient settings, often decorated with inscriptions or reliefs to honor a person or significant occurrence
2. A monumental stone pillar frequently erected in historical cultures, serving to memorialize events or individuals through engraved messages
3. A vertical stone structure, often inscribed or sculpted, used in antiquity to commemorate significant figures or events in various cultures

Etymology: The Greek word "stḗlē" originally meant something set upright, a block or pillar standing on end, and it comes from the same root as "histēmi", "to make stand." Greeks raised these markers over graves, boundaries and victories, and inscribed them so that passersby could read the names or deeds they recorded. The Romans borrowed the word as "stēla," and the Latin form passed into English as "stela," which keeps the original spelling and pronunciation closely tied to its classical roots. "Stela" is a doublet of "stele," the more common English spelling. Both descend from the same Greek source but arrived through different routes, so English ended up with two forms of one word. The shared origin means the two spellings are really the same object in two different accents of borrowing.

Synonyms: stele