Bullalaria

/ˌbʊləˈlɛəriə/ noun

Definition

A collection or register of bulls (papal documents); an archival record of papal pronouncements and decrees.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin 'bullarium,' derived from 'bulla' (a papal seal or sealed document) plus '-aria' (a place or collection of things).

Kelly Says

A 'bulla' was a leaden seal attached to important papal documents, so 'bullalaria' literally means a place to store sealed documents—it shows how the name of the seal itself became the name for the archives, a beautiful example of meaning shift!

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