entry
chapel
/ˈtʃæp.əl/small place of worship, often subordinate
From Late Latin cappa / cappella (cloak).
from Late Latin cappella (“little cloak; chapel”), diminutive of cappa (“cloak, cape”). Doublet of capelle. Displaced...
from Old French chapele (12c., Modern French chapelle )
+1 more sourcefrom Old French chapele (12c., Modern French chapelle )
+1 more sourcefrom Old French chapele (12c., Modern French chapelle )
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Late Latin cappella (“little cloak; chapel”), diminutive of cappa (“cloak, cape”). Doublet of capelle. Displaced...
from Old French chapele (12c., Modern French chapelle )
+1 more sourcefrom Old French chapele (12c., Modern French chapelle )
+1 more sourcefrom Old French chapele (12c., Modern French chapelle )
+1 more sourceA church word once started life as a piece of clothing. In the famous St. Martin story, the saint’s cloak was split in half to help a beggar, and the preserved relic supposedly gave its name to the shrine that guarded it. That same cloak-root also turns up in chaplain, the priest assigned to a chapel, and in cousin words like cap and cape — all of them smelling faintly of fabric, protection, and ceremony. There’s even a second tradition that ties the word to a literal covering over an altar, which is delightfully on-brand: the holy space was, in a sense, a sheltered little pocket. So a chapel is not just a small church; it is a room-sized reminder that language loves turning a humble garment into a sacred place.
The Story
A church word once started life as a piece of clothing. In the famous St. Martin story, the saint’s cloak was split in half to help a beggar, and the preserved relic supposedly gave its name to the shrine that guarded it. That same cloak-root also turns up in chaplain, the priest assigned to a chapel, and in cousin words like cap and cape — all of them smelling faintly of fabric, protection, and ceremony. There’s even a second tradition that ties the word to a literal covering over an altar, which is delightfully on-brand: the holy space was, in a sense, a sheltered little pocket. So a chapel is not just a small church; it is a room-sized reminder that language loves turning a humble garment into a sacred place.
Kin & Kindred
From 'cappa / cappella'·cloak, cape; little cloak
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary