Fane

/feɪn/ noun

Definition

An archaic or poetic word for a temple or shrine, especially a place of religious worship or sacred building.

Etymology

From Latin 'fanum' (temple), which may relate to 'fas' (divine law or right). It's a formal, old-fashioned term that survives mainly in poetry and historical texts.

Kelly Says

Fane is the kind of word that sounds like it should be about food ('fane' sounds like 'feign'), but it's actually about the sacred. Poets loved this word because it's short, mysterious, and sounds mystical—you see it all over in older poetry. The fact that 'fanum' gave us not just 'fane' but also religious words like 'profane' (against the temple) shows how central temples were to Latin thinking.

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