sedilia

The priest sits on the sedilia during the service.

Definition

1. Noun (plural: sedilia):
   • Ecclesiastical furniture: "sedilia" refers to a set of three stone seats, typically found in a church, reserved for the clergy (priest, deacon, and subdeacon) during the celebration of Mass. These seats are usually built into the wall on the south side of the chancel or sanctuary.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The medieval church features beautifully carved sedilia near the altar. (The three stone seats for clergy are intricately decorated.)
  • During the liturgy, the priest and deacon sat in the sedilia. (The clergy used the designated seats.)
  • The sedilia were restored to their original Gothic style. (The stone seats underwent restoration.)

Advanced Usage

• "sedilia" as a singular or plural form: While "sedilia" is historically a plural noun (from Latin, meaning "seats"), it is sometimes used as a singular collective noun in modern ecclesiastical contexts.

  • The sedilia is a prominent feature of the sanctuary. (The set of seats is treated as a single unit.)

• "sedilia" in architectural history: In medieval churches, sedilia often had canopies or decorative niches above them, reflecting the liturgical importance of the clergy's seating.

  • The sedilia in the abbey are adorned with carved saints. (The seats are embellished with religious figures.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sedile (n): an alternative singular form (rare), meaning a single seat of a sedilia set.
  • Each sedile in the row has a distinctive carving. (Each individual stone seat.)
• Sedilia (adj): not commonly used as an adjective; the term is primarily a noun.

Synonyms

• Clergy seats: seats reserved for religious officials.
• Presbytery seats: a related term for seating in the presbytery (the area around the altar).
• Stalls: wooden or stone seats in a choir or chancel, though stalls are often more elaborate.

Related Idioms

• "Take the sedilia": a rare ecclesiastical phrase meaning to assume one's seat among the clergy during a service.
  • The bishop took the sedilia after the procession. (He occupied the central seat.)

Phrasal Verbs

• No direct phrasal verbs; "sedilia" is a specific architectural term not used with verbs.

Notes

• Etymology: From Latin (seat), plural . The word entered English in the late 14th century via ecclesiastical Latin.