Word of the Day : November 18, 2018

chapel \CHAP-ul\ noun

Definition

1 : a subordinate or private place of worship

2 : a place of worship used by a Christian group other than an established church

3 : a choir of singers belonging to a chapel

4 : a chapel service or assembly at a school or college

Did You Know?

Chapel is ultimately derived from the Late Latin word cappa, meaning "cloak." How did we get from a garment to a building? The answer to this question has to do with a shrine created to hold the sacred cloak of St. Martin of Tours. In Medieval Latin, this shrine was called cappella (from a diminutive of cappa, meaning "short cloak or cape") in reference to the relic it contained. Later, the meaning of cappella broadened to include any building that housed a sacred relic, and eventually to a place of worship. Anglo-French picked up the term as chapele, which in turn passed into English as chapel in the 13th century. In case you are wondering, the term a cappella, meaning "without instrumental accompaniment," entered English from Italian, where it literally means "in chapel style."

Aired November 18, 2018

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