nave
/neɪv/ noun, proper noun
Forms naves
- noun (architecture) The middle or body of a church, extending from the transepts to the principal entrances.
- noun (architecture) The ground-level middle cavity of a barn.
- noun A hub of a wheel.
- noun (obsolete) The navel.
- proper noun A surname.
Etymology
Ultimately from Latin nāvem, singular accusative of nāvis, possibly via a Romance source. Doublet of nef and nau.
From Middle English nave, from Old English nafu, from Proto-West Germanic *nabu, from Proto-Germanic *nabō (compare Dutch naaf, German Nabe, Swedish nav), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃nebʰ- (“navel, hub”) (compare Latin umbō (“shield boss”), Latvian naba, Sanskrit नभ्य (nabhya)).
* As an English surname, from the noun knave.
* As a German surname Näve, variant of Neff, see Neve.
* As a Portuguese surname, from nave (“plain”), borrowed from Spanish nava, compare Nava.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The block in the center of a wheel, from which the spokes radiate, and through which the axle passes; --called also hub or hob.
- noun The navel. [Obs.] hak.
- noun The middle or body of a church, extending from the transepts to the principal entrances, or, if there are no transepts, from the choir to the principal entrance, but not including the aisles.
Etymology [AS. nafu; akin to D. naaf, G. nabe, OHG. naba, Icel. nöf, Dan. nav, Sw. naf, Skr. nabhi nave and navel: cf. L. umbo boss of a shield. *260. Cf. Navel.]
Etymology [F. nef, fr. L. navis ship, to which the church was often likened; akin to Gr. naca boat, G. nachen, Icel. nökkvi; cf. L. nare to swim, float. Cf. Nausea, Nautical, Naval.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “nave”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details