2006-10-02 09:10:18 · 7 answers · asked by mikeyfantastical 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
A pew is, etymologically, the plural of podium, which is podia. Podium is, of course, Latin for "raised place, pedestal", coming from Greek pódion, a diminutive form of poús "foot" (found in Oedipus, and it is also a distant relative of English foot, as discussed in Spotlight this week). It referred originally to the base on which things such as statues rested (i.e., a pedestal, yet another related word). Old French borrowed Latin podia as puie "raised seat, balcony", and English took it in the 14th century as pew. In English it first applied to a raised, enclosed area of seats in a church, reserved for particular people (the local nobleman's family, say), but it eventually came to refer to all benches in a church. That change in meaning occurred in the 17th century.- takeourword.org
2006-10-02 09:15:42 · answer #1 · answered by deal 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In the 16th century "pew" was the word for a long uncomfortable bench (where sinners sat).
2006-10-02 09:15:01 · answer #2 · answered by Dood 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because when a person farts in church, they must sit in their own pew.
2006-10-02 09:12:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Becuase when they made churches they needed a different name for the benches
2006-10-02 09:12:30 · answer #4 · answered by Butterfinger20 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because you could dip the cushions in hot water and make fart tea.
2006-10-02 09:12:41 · answer #5 · answered by C P R 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They used to filled with stinky peasants.
2006-10-02 09:12:43 · answer #6 · answered by lenny 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because church stinks???
2006-10-02 09:13:30 · answer #7 · answered by Truthasarous rex 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋