Where does the word gargoyle come from and what does it mean?

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word gargoyle comes from the old French word gargoule, which means throat. Gargoyles are the grotesque carved spouts used to channel water from roofs.

What’s the meaning behind a gargoyle?

1a : a spout in the form of a grotesque human or animal figure projecting from a roof gutter to throw rainwater clear of a building. b : a grotesquely carved figure. 2 : a person with an ugly face.

How do you use the word gargoyle in a sentence?

Gargoyle sentence example She approached the window, amazed at the snow, until her gaze fell to a figure kneeling like a dark gargoyle in the middle of the white lawn.

What is the spiritual meaning of a gargoyle?

Many considered gargoyles the spiritual protectors of churches as well, scaring off demons and evil spirits. Some historians believe gargoyles were inspired from pagan eras and were used to make churches feel more familiar to new Christians.

What is the oldest gargoyle?

But the oldest gargoyle is found on a building in Turkey. It’s 13,000 years old and looks like a crocodile. The ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks also carved gargoyles to use as drain spouts on their buildings. And gargoyles became very popular on churches in Europe during the 1200s.

What animal is a gargoyle?

Ancient Egyptians usually created gargoyles in the shape of a lion’s head. Other popular animal gargoyles were dogs, wolves, eagles, snakes, goats, and monkeys. Over the years, many other types of creatures have been used as gargoyles.

What’s another name for a gargoyle?

In this page you can discover 12 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for gargoyle, like: cherub, grotesque figure, gargoyles, cyclopean, sculpture, battlement, bas-relief, gutter, spout, drain and rainspout.

How do you use formidable in a sentence?

Formidable sentence example

He does have a formidable temper, you know.
Two formidable men stood on either side.
Josh was no stranger to a fistfight, and he was considered by many to be a formidable opponent.
The girls had a large amount of respect for their formidable grandfather.

Where does the word gargoyle come from in French?

The word “gargoyle” actually has the same root as the word “gargle,” the French gargouille, which means throat. The idea of a monster that spurts water isn’t random, it actually comes from a fascinating French legend about a dragon that lived in the Seine river near Rouen.

Where did the term gargoyle gardens ablaze come from?

Gardens Ablaze. The word “Gargoyle” originates from the old French word “Gargouille” meaning “Throat” but which also fairly well describes the gurgling sound of water coming through the downspout. The Catholic Church originally used Gargoyles as a visual reminder to their Pagan converts, many of whom were illiterate.

What does it mean when a gargoyle gurgles water?

It comes from the words gargouille, meaning ‘throat’, and gargariser, meaning ‘to gurgle’. This reflects the fact the water tends to come out of the mouth of the gargoyle. The terms for gargoyle in other languages tends to be more descriptive.

What did gargoyles look like in the Middle Ages?

By pagan elements, I mainly mean dragons, but gargoyles in the middle ages could be many things, from human faces to animal hybrids called “chimeras” to other “grotesques.” But the non-waterspout gargoyles, the kind we often think of when it comes to the word, are actually more recent.

What does a gargoyle represent?

Gargoyles: a Symbol of France. Gargoyles were important symbols adorning medieval Catholic churches, relating to Satan and original sin, but they were also important architectural features created with a purpose, that of a waterspout.

What does the name Gargoyle mean?

In architecture, and specifically in Gothic architecture, a gargoyle ( / ˈɡɑːrɡɔɪl /) is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between.

What do gargoyles represent?

Gargoyles were a symbol of creatures from hell, part human, part monster. Some believed they would scare off evil spirits. The origin was Eastern Europe and spread from there. The reason for them was as a reminder of hell.

Is there a spiritual meaning for Gargoyle?

Some believe gargoyles on a church were meant to ward off evil; it’s also possible that the gargoyles symbolized evil spirits, monstrous entities, and damned souls. The thinking was that the church offered spiritual safety for those who accepted its authority, but outside the church was spiritual danger.