altar
English

Etymology
From Middle English alter, from Old English alter, altar (“altar”), taken from Latin altare (“altar”), probably related to adolere (“burn”); thus "burning place", influenced by altus (“high”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɔːl.tə/, /ˈɒl.tə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɔl.tɚ/, /ˈɑl.tɚ/
- (Canada) IPA(key): /ˈɑl.tɚ/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɔːltə(ɹ)
- Homophone: alter
- Hyphenation: al‧tar
Noun
altar (plural altars)
- A table or similar flat-topped structure used for religious rites.
- (informal) A raised area around an altar in a church; the sanctuary.
- (figuratively) Anything that is worshipped or sacrificed to.
- 2000, Alain Renaut, M. B. De Bevoise, Era of the Individual: A Contribution to a History of Subjectivity
- […] now marking the end of ascetic rationalism, the monadology no longer implied a sacrifice of individuality on the altar of rationality.
- 2000, Alain Renaut, M. B. De Bevoise, Era of the Individual: A Contribution to a History of Subjectivity
Derived terms
Translations
|
|
Catalan
Etymology
From Old Occitan, from Latin altāre.
Cimbrian
Etymology
From Middle High German alter, altære, from Old High German altāri, from Latin altāre. Cognate with German Altar.
References
- “altar” in Martalar, Umberto Martello; Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo
Faroese
Etymology
From Old Norse altari, from Old Saxon altari, from Latin altare (“altar”), cognates with Danish alter (“altar”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈal̥.taɹ/
Declension
Declension of altar | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
n3 | singular | plural | ||
indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
nominative | altar | altarið | altar | altarini |
accusative | altar | altarið | altar | altarini |
dative | altari | altarinum | altarum | altarunum |
genitive | altars | altarsins | altara | altaranna |
Galician
.jpg.webp)
Etymology
From Old Portuguese altar, from Latin altāre.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /alˈtaɾ/
Noun
altar m (plural altares)
- altar
- 1370, Ramón Lorenzo (ed.), Crónica troiana. A Coruña: Fundación Barrié, page 660:
- et talloulle a cabeça dentro ẽno tẽplo, ante o altar.
- and he cut his head, inside in the temple, before the altar.
- et talloulle a cabeça dentro ẽno tẽplo, ante o altar.
- 1370, Ramón Lorenzo (ed.), Crónica troiana. A Coruña: Fundación Barrié, page 660:
Synonyms
Irish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈal̪ˠt̪ˠəɾˠ]
Verb
altar
- present indicative autonomous of alt
- imperative autonomous of alt
- present subjunctive autonomous of alt
Mutation
Irish mutation | |||
---|---|---|---|
Radical | Eclipsis | with h-prothesis | with t-prothesis |
altar | n-altar | haltar | not applicable |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
Latin
Etymology
Found mainly in post-Classical Latin. In Classical Latin, used mostly in plural form altaria. Ultimately from adolere and influenced by altus. See also other forms altāre and altārium.
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈal.tar/, [ˈaɫ.tar]
Inflection
Third declension neuter “pure” i-stem.
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nominative | altar | altāria |
Genitive | altāris | altārium |
Dative | altārī | altāribus |
Accusative | altar | altāria |
Ablative | altārī | altāribus |
Vocative | altar | altāria |
Descendants
- Romanian: altar
References
- altar in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- altar in The Perseus Project (1999) Perseus Encyclopedia
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology 1
Ultimately from Latin altar, probably through late Old Norse altari and Old Saxon altari.
Alternative forms
Old High German
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *aldrą, whence also Old English ealdor, Old Norse aldr.
Old Portuguese
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /al.ˈtaɾ/
Noun
altar m (plural altares)
- altar (flat structure used for religious rites)
- 13th century, attributed to Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, E codex, cantiga 7 (facsimile):
- Eſta e como ſanta Maria liurou a Abadeſſa prenne q̇ adormecera anto ſeu Altar chorando.
- This one is about how Holy Mary acquitted the pregnant abbess who had fallen asleep crying in front of her altar.
- Eſta e como ſanta Maria liurou a Abadeſſa prenne q̇ adormecera anto ſeu Altar chorando.
- 13th century, attributed to Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, E codex, cantiga 7 (facsimile):
Portuguese
Etymology
From Old Portuguese altar, from Latin altāre (“altar for burnt offerings”). Cf. also outeiro.
Pronunciation
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /aɫ.ˈtaɾ/
- (Paulista) IPA(key): /aw.ˈtaɾ/, /aw.ˈtaɹ/
- (South Brazil) IPA(key): /aw.ˈtaɾ/, /aw.ˈtaɻ/
Romanian
Alternative forms
- altariu (dated, rare)
Etymology
From Latin altārium or altār, with the plural deriving from altāria. Compare oltar, a rare and dated variant which derives from the same source via a Slavic intermediary.
Synonyms
- (altar): pristol
- (sanctuary): sanctuar
Spanish
Etymology
From Old Spanish altar (attested as far back as the Cantar de Mio Cid[1]), from Latin altāre. See also otero.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /alˈtaɾ/, [al̪ˈt̪aɾ]
Noun
altar m (plural altares)
- altar (a table used for religious rites)
- stone that separates the firebox from the hearth in reverberatory furnaces
Further reading
- “altar” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.