Why is a cathedral called a cathedral?

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Pete J

The word 'Cathederal' is a shortening of 'cathederal church', which was originally the church housing the bishop's throne. For ultimately cathederal comes from the Greek 'kathedra' (source also of English 'chair'), a compound noun meaning 'seat' formed from kata- 'down' and *hed- 'sit'.

The adjectival form was created in late Latin as 'cathederalis', and reached English via old French.

The notion of the bishop's authority residing in his throne recurs in 'see', which comes from the Latin sedem 'seat', a relative of the English 'sit'

Vivienne T

A cathedral is so called because of the bishop's throne which is called a cathedra. Other cathedral size buildings that don't have a cathedra are usually abbeys, minsters and so on. It's the throne that gives the name.

James M

Cathedral comes from the latin word cateral meaning shut and the greek word edral for up the hell

migelito

The word cathedral comes from the Greek kathedra meaning chair. It is so called because the cathedral is where the bishop presides ie he has his seat.

Diarmid

The word cathedral is derived from the Greek noun ÎºÎ±Î¸ÎÎ´ÏÎ± (cathedra) which translates as seat and refers to the presence of the bishop's (or archbishop's) chair or throne.

In this sense therefore, the word cathedral, though grammatically used as a noun, is originally the adjective in the phrase cathedral church, from the Latin ecclesia cathedralis. The seat marks the place set aside in the prominent church of the diocese for the head of that diocese and is therefore a major symbol of authority.

In response to Steph Davenport's yearning to know the etymology of bread higher up in the answers to this question:

The word itself, Old English bread, is common in various forms to many Germanic languages; such as Frisian brea, Dutch brood, German Brot, Swedish brÃ¶d, and Norwegian brÃ¸d; it has been derived from the root of brew, but more probably is connected with the root of break, for its early uses are confined to broken pieces, or bits of bread, the Latin frustum, and it was not until the 12th century that it took the placeâ€”as the generic name for breadâ€”of hlaf (modern English loaf), which appears to be the oldest Teutonic name; Old High German hleib and modern German Laib, or Finnish leipÃ¤, Estonian leib, and Russian Ñ…Ð»ÐµÐ± (khleb) are similar (all are derived from Old Germanic).

lingua06437

A cathedral is a church where a bishop overseas his diocese. Theirfore this church is built bigger than a normal church because it is representing an entire diocese, not just one parish.

lucifer_sam_48

mmmm. somthing to do with god..?

Edward W

A cathedral is a Christian church building, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Roman Catholic, Anglican and some Lutheran churches, which serves as the central church of a diocese, and thus as a bishop's seat. As cathedrals are often particularly impressive edifices, the term is often used incorrectly as a designation for any large important church.

Some pre-Reformation cathedrals in Scotland now within the Church of Scotland still retain the term cathedral, despite the Church's Presbyterian polity which does not have bishops.

The term is not officially used in Eastern Orthodoxy, the church of a bishop being known as "the great church", though cathedral is commonly used in English translations.

Basically coz it's catholic

aunty m

I THINK IT IS SO CALLED BECAUSE IT IS A ROUND SHAPED BUILDING

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