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CANOPY
Noun & verb. Late Middle English.
[medieval Latin canopeum baldachin, alteration of Latin conopeum, -ium net over a bed, pavillion
from Greek konopeion Egyptian bed with mosquito curtain, from konops mosquito.]
A1 noun. A covering suspended or held over a throne, bed, person, etc.; an awning. LME
A2 noun. generally. A covering, an overhanging shade or shelter (often applied figuratively to the sky). E17
A2(b) noun. The upper branches of the trees in a forest, as forming a more or less continuous layer. E20
A3 noun. ARCHITECTURE. A rooflike ornamental projection over a niche, door, tomb, etc. L17
A4 noun. An overhead covering forming part of the upper structure of a vehicle etc.;
especially the cover of the cockpit of an aircraft. L19
A5 noun. The expanding part of a parachute. M20
B verb trans. Cover (as) with a canopy. Frequently as canopied. participial adjective. L16
Do please leave any comment on the canopied divan of wisdom below.
The Greeks had mosquito curtains? You'll be telling me they had astrolabes and canal locks, next.
ReplyDeleteWell I don't know if they did, Sally ... maybe mosquito nets were just the Grecian dream ... a bit like our time machines, teleporters, and cheeseburger printers.
DeleteThe things a Greek person learns when they read Lexicolatry. Wow. And apparently that's why the modern greek word for couch is kanapes. All this time I thought it was a French loan.\
ReplyDelete\
http://www.encquran.brill.nl/entries/brill-s-new-pauly/konopion-e619590?s.num=14&s.au=%22Hurschmann%2C+Rolf+(Hamburg)%22&s.f.s2_parent_title=Brill\'92s+New+Pauly}
Great! More info to keep the convo going - "And in fact, the modern Greek for couch is kanapes ..."
DeleteLexicolaters the world over are going to be such a hit at the next dinner party : o )