portcullis
Apr. 3rd, 2023 07:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
prettygoodwordWith apologies for not completing the theme week of Fancy P words, but I had to drop offline for a family emergency. Here's the much-delayed final word:
portcullis (pawrt-KUHL-is) - n., an grating made of iron and/or wood hung over the gateway of a castle, fort, etc. that is lowered through grooves to prevent passage.
Part of standard fortification in medieval Europe. Larger castles often had two, at either end of the front gate passage -- lowering both trapped attackers in a killing zone. The word dates from the early 14th century as Middle English port-colice, from Old French porte coleice, sliding gate, from porte, gate (from Latin porta) + coleice, feminine of coleis, sliding (from Vulgar Latin *cōlātīcius, from Latin cōlātus, past participle of cōlāre, to filter, strain, from cōlum, sieve).
Thanks, WikiMedia!
---L.
portcullis (pawrt-KUHL-is) - n., an grating made of iron and/or wood hung over the gateway of a castle, fort, etc. that is lowered through grooves to prevent passage.
Part of standard fortification in medieval Europe. Larger castles often had two, at either end of the front gate passage -- lowering both trapped attackers in a killing zone. The word dates from the early 14th century as Middle English port-colice, from Old French porte coleice, sliding gate, from porte, gate (from Latin porta) + coleice, feminine of coleis, sliding (from Vulgar Latin *cōlātīcius, from Latin cōlātus, past participle of cōlāre, to filter, strain, from cōlum, sieve).
Thanks, WikiMedia!
---L.
