different between dolmen vs trilithon

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French dolmen. Perhaps incorrectly fabricated from Breton taol maen (taol (“table”) + maen (“stone”)) (the correct compound would be *taolvaen, not **daolmaen). See also menhir.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?d?l.m?n/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?do?l.m?n/, /?d?l.m?n/

Noun

dolmen (plural dolmens)

1. A prehistoric megalithic tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones, most having originally been covered with earth or smaller stones to form a barrow.
2. More generally, any megalithic tomb, including passage graves and wedge tombs.

Usage notes

Not to be confused with dolman.

Synonyms

• cromlech
• portal tomb

Translations

See also

• cairn
• menhir

Homophones

• dolman

Further reading

• dolmen on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

Anagrams

• Lemond, Meldon, Molden, molden, old men, old-men, oldmen

Galician

Etymology

Attested since circa 1870. From French dolmen. Traditional local denominations of dolmens include anta, arca, forno, casota.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?d?lm??]

Noun

dolmen m (plural dolmens)

1. dolmen
   • 1883, Manuel Lago, Obra:

     Ai! Cando funguen os ventos nas polas do castañal xa non ruxirán as armas qu'alí tiñan nosos pais...! Donde fixemos fogueiras os carrascos nacerán, e no dolmen en qu'ibamos de noite a sacrificar, criaránse herbas e toxos i os mouchos aniñarán... Cobrirán silvas i hadreiras as pedras do noso lar, e sobr'as mámoas dos mortos xente allea pasará

     Woe! When the winds hum in the chestnut branches no longer will roar our father's arms there! Where we lighted bonfires, oaks will grow, and at the dolmen where we made our sacrifices at night, weeds and gorses will grow and the owl will make nest... Brambles and ivies will cover the stones of our home, and over the barrows of the dead, alien people will walk

   Synonym: anta

References

• “dolmen” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006-2013.
• “dolmen” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.

Norman

Etymology

Borrowed from French dolmen.

Noun

dolmen m (plural dolmens)

1. (Jersey) dolmen

Romanian

Etymology

From French dolmen

Noun

dolmen n (plural dolmene)

1. dolmen

Declension

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?a?.l?.??n/

Noun

trilithon (plural trilithons or trilitha)

1. A structure consisting of two stone pillars supporting a horizontal stone.
   • 1846, Edward Duke, The Druidical Temples of the County of Wilts, page 158,

     […] thus the two opposite trilithons which are nearest to the north-west or grand entrance, were 19 feet in height, the two next opposite trilithons correspond in the height of 20 feet 3 inches, and the trilithon at the back of the stone of astronomic observation, or as erringly called the Altar-stone, raised its ascent to the astonishing height of 25 feet.

   • 1983, Hans van der Laan, Architectonic Space: Fifteen Lessons on the Disposition of the Human Habitat, page 193,

     The two trilithons forming the wall on each side of the cella therefore pass on the mutual neighbourhood to each other, despite the fact that they are set a slight distance apart. But owing to the oblique placing of the pair of trilithons nearest the head-end the spread is greatly reduced on that side; the head-trilithon stands at the exact spot where it ceases.

   • 2007, Brad Olsen, Sacred Places Europe: 108 Destinations, Consortium of Collective Consciousness, page 45,

     Within the sarsen circle are the five impressive trilithons, forming a horseshoe-shaped ring of huge stones.

   • 2009, John Beer, Romanticism, Revolution and Language: The Fate of the Word from Samuel Johnson to George Eliot, Cambridge University Press, page 84,

     […] whereas the four-square gallows would have been more likely to suggest to his contemporary Blake, who normally used symbolism for its own sake, a resemblance to one of the four-square trilitha at Stonehenge.

Synonyms

• (two stone pillars supporting a third stone): trilith

Meronyms

• posts
• lintel

See also

• cromlech
• menhir