The plural of chancel; the part of a church near the altar that is reserved for the clergy and choir, usually separated from the main body of the church.
From Old French chancel, derived from Latin cancellus meaning 'latticed screen or railing,' because the altar area was traditionally separated from the nave by a railing or screen.
The physical barriers in medieval churches gave their names to specific spaces—chancel, chance, and even chancellor all trace back to those dividing screens (cancelli), showing how architecture shaped religious vocabulary!
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