Sanctuary?

[Lauren Leighton]

Thank you for your help. As a long-time admirer I am intrigued by someone
whose motto is "Russian Translations That Read Like Originals." I'm curious
to know more.
Cheers.

-----Original Message-----
From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
[mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU]On Behalf Of Paul B. Gallagher
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2002 12:32 AM
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Re: Sanctuary?


Hoyte & Elena King wrote:

> I believe the English is "altar", not sanctuary.

An "altar" (in English) is an object (жертвенник = zhertvennik; also
престол = prestol in the ecclesiastical sense, not as a throne); it
never denotes a space. I would immediately rule it out as a candidate
term on that basis. We never use it in the sense of Russian алтарь =
altar' for "восточная часть церкви, где находится престол, отделенная от
общего помещения иконостасом" = "vostochnaya chast' tserkvi, gde
nakhoditsya prestol, otdelennaya ot obshchego pomeshcheniya
ikonostasom."

Lauren Leighton originally asked:

> Please, someone, tell me the Russian and English terms for the space
> behind the iconostas where only the priests are permitted to enter.

Webster's dictionary contains the following definitions:

"iconostasis" (Eastern Ch.)
-- a partition or screen on which icons are placed,
   separating the sanctuary from the main part of the
   church. Also, "iconostas."
   [иконостас = ikonostas -- pbg]

"altar"
1. an elevated place or structure, as a mound or platform,
   at which religious rites are performed or on which
   sacrifices are offered to gods, ancestors, etc.
   [жертвенник = zhertvennik -- pbg]

2. (Eccles.) See "communion table."
   [престол = prestol -- pbg]

3. ... [three more irrelevant definitions omitted -- pbg]

"sanctuary"
1. a sacred or holy place.
   [святилище = svyatilishche, храм = khram -- pbg]

2. (Judaism)
        a. the Biblical tabernacle or the Temple in Jerusalem;
        b. the holy of holies of these places of worship.
           [святая святых = svyataya svyatykh -- pbg]

3. an especially holy place in a temple or church.

4. the part of a church around the altar; the chancel.
   [алтарь = altar'. -- pbg]

5-7. [shelter, refuge = убежище = ubezhishche in various
     senses -- pbg].

"chancel"
-- the space about the altar of a church, usually enclosed,
   for the clergy and other officials.
   [алтарь = altar' -- pbg].

This last term seems like a worthy candidate as well (I defer to those
more learned in the Eastern Rite), inasmuch as the word (according to
Webster) is derived from Late Latin cancellus "lattice, railing, or
screen before the altar of a church," from Latin cancelli (pl.)
"lattice, railing, grating."

HTH

--
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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