Glossary

A

Adobe - a brick made of mud, straw, manure, and water dried in the sun. Altar - a table in the sanctuary of a church which serves as a center for worship.

B

Baptistry - a part of a church containing a font – used for baptismal services.

Basilica - a title bestowed on a church of particularly important historical significance by the Pope.

C

Campanario - a wall (with openings for hanging bells) that is attached to a church. Typically, Spanish.

Corredor - an arcade providing a shady outdoor hallway, it was usually along the inner wall of   the quadrangle.   

E

Espadana - a decorative false front to make a building seem larger than its true roofline. 

Ewaa - An American Indian hut.

 

F

Facade - front wall of a building.                                                                                                                                             

Friar - a member of a religious order – especially one of the four mendicant orders.

K

Kumeyaay - (Ipai-Tipai) Indigenous people in Southern California and Northern Baja.

L

La Sala - large room in a mission quadrangle used as entry or greeting room. 

M

Mendicant - practicing beggary, living by alms.  Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, Augustinians.   

Metates - stone with a flat or concave upper surface, sometimes with legs beneath for grinding corn or acorns.         

Mano - the smaller, hand-held stone used with metate.   

N

Neophyte - a newly baptized Christian.

P

Portico - a covered corridor most often in front of a building typical of Spanish Mission architecture. 

Pulpit - an elevated place in a church on which the clergyman stands while preaching.

Q

Quadrangle- arrangement of buildings around a courtyard and gardens typical of mission compound.

R

Reredos - a screen or partition wall, usually ornamental, behind the altar.   

S

Sacristy - a room in a church where the sacred utensils and vestments are kept. 

Sanctuary - the center of worship in a church where the altar table is situated. 

T
Tabernacle - a receptacle or safe for the consecrated elements of the Eucharist. 

U

Umbraculum - a canopy or umbrella with Papal colors used to designate a Basilica.

V

Viceroy - The governor of New Spain (Mexico) who represented the King of Spain during early mission days