de obra

English translation: masonry

12:51 Dec 8, 2023

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Archaeology

Spanish term or phrase: de obra

"Se trata de un tipo de larario híbrido, pues mientras la parte superior responde a las características de un templete - en los casos
conservados todos siguen el modelo etrusco-itálico (ibídem)-, la parte inferior, que en las aediculae de obra suele ser un basamento macizo, tiene, en este caso, función de armario, en el cual se guardaban tanto imágenes de culto como instrumentum domesticum, como se ha documentado en el edículo de la Casa del Sacello di Legno"

I'm interested in the term "aediculae de obra' which appears in a phd thesis I am translating.

Aediculae are types of altars and the author uses the suffix 'de obra' only for these entities.
Is this to denote a 'working' altar? Perhaps it is the 'case in hand'?

I'm leaning towards a linguistic quirk I'm unfamiliar with rather than unexplained content as the author is quite meticulous about glossing new terms and would have spent a lot of time eradicating unglossed items.

Andy Carr KudoZ activity Questions: 3 (none open) Answers: 46
Local time: 17:52

English translation:masonry

Explanation:
de obra
1. loc. adj. De albañilería.
https://dle.rae.es/obra?m=form2#CHWF0As

"aediculae de obra" = "aediculae de albañilería" > "masonry aediculae"

https://books.google.es/books?id=YxfUDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA59&lpg=PA...
Wooden Furniture in Herculaneum: Form, Technique and Function
This variant, without pediment, is also found in two masonry aediculae in Pompeii.

https://books.google.es/books?id=PM35DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA209&lpg=P...
Palazzo dell’Emiciclo e palazzina ex-GIL Maschile:
There are two stone-clad masonry aediculae, on the outside clad using ashlar masonry, between 15 and 30 cm thick and featuring stonework forming the decoration of aediculae themselves.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2023-12-08 22:42:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The set expression "de obra" refers specifically to masonry building materials (stone, clay, brick, or concrete), as opposed to other materials such as wood.

Refs. to "aediculae de madera" vs. "aediculae de obra"

EL CULTO EN LA CASA ROMANA
Dialnet
https://dialnet.unirioja.es › descarga › articulo
by MP Ruiz · 2007 · Cited by 29 — Existe además otro tipo de aediculae de madera, del cual excepcionalmente se han conservado cuatro ejemplos en Herculano

Topografía del culto en las casas romanas de la Bética y la Tarraconense
Academia.edu
https://www.academia.edu › Topogr...
... aediculae de madera colocados en dormitorios del segundo piso29 y, por tanto, testimonios prácticamente únicos en todo el mundo romano

GODS IN THE HOUSE - Anthropology of Roman Housing – II
Brepols Online
https://www.brepolsonline.net › M.ASH-EB.5.130867
by A Dardenay · 2023 — masonry or wood aediculae should not be interpreted as a sign of low status:

SUMMARY WOODEN FURNITURE IN HERCULANEUM ...
Brill
https://brill.com › downloadpdf › book
The wooden aediculae are also unique as originals, but examples made of less perishable materials and stray finds of statuettes of household deities

Selected response from:

Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Spain
Local time: 18:52

Grading comment

Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +4

masonry

Beatriz Ramírez de Haro

Summary of reference entries provided

religious altar

Lisa Rosengard

Helena Chavarria

Discussion entries: 4

Answers

4 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

masonry

Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Spain
Local time: 18:52
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

philgoddard

1 hr

-> It could be part of the building's structure but not necessarily, as "de obra" refers exclusively to masonry building materials (stone, clay, brick, or concrete), as opposed to other materials such as wood. Saludos Phil.

agree

Andrés Martínez: https://diccionario.reverso.net/ingles-espanol/brick Search "de obra" = brick

1 hr

-> Muchas gracias, Andrés

agree

Adrian MM.: not built-in https://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish-to-french/law-general/241...

6 hrs

-> Thank you Adrian

agree

Toni Castano: Same as "de albañilería" or "de mampostería". The DRAE dictionary explains it clearly: https://dle.rae.es/obra. Feliz fin de semana.

18 hrs

-> Gracias, Toni, coincidimos de nuevo. Saludos y buen domingo.

Reference comments

2 hrs

Reference: religious altar

Reference information:
An altar is any structure on which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. It was usually a raised platform with a flat surface.
An altar always represented a place of consecration.

Reference: http://https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-an-altar.html

Lisa Rosengard
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: English

1 hr peer agreement (net): +1

Reference

Reference information:
Espacios domésticos destinados al culto: Aedicula dentro del ámbito del hogar hace referencia a un pequeño templo con dos partes diferenciadas, el templete y su basamento. El primero formados por columnas o pilastras con un espacio cerrado. El segundo, el basamento, macizo y de forma rectangular o cuadrada con un nivel suficiente para acceder a ella. Ricamente decorado con pinturas figurativas de mayor o menor complejidad, también es frecuente utilización de
relieves de estuco. Se descubrieron otro tipo de Aedicula de madera, tiene un carácter híbrido, la parte superior con características de un templete y la parte inferior, denominada aediculae de obra suele ser un basamento macizo, donde se guardaba imágenes como instrumento de culto.

https://www.studocu.com/es/document/uned/historia-de-la-cult...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2023-12-08 14:46:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Furthermore, the lararia are classified into three different types, according to George
Boyce: the wall painting, the niche, and the aedicula, although sometimes several
types appear in combination.

----------------------------------------------------
The aedicula type resembles a miniature temple, which is situated on top of a masonry podium, and may also be decorated with painting.

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/213389088.pdf

For example, statuettes of tutelary divinities were placed inside the niches on street façades or onto the masonry shrines built into the wall or floor of a household’s atrium, alongside the figures of snakes and Lares typically painted
there (Fröhlich, 1991).

https://oro.open.ac.uk/79388/1/79388.pdf

Lararia (alsocalled sacella [singular: sacellum]and aediculae [singular: aedicula]) are shrines to the household gods found in many Roman houses. They were located in atria, gardens, courtyards, and/or kitchens. Depending on the wealth of a household, the lararium could be a free-standing shrine, a wall niche, a cabinet, or a fresco. They sometimes accomodated statuettes of the Lars (protectors of the household), the genius (guardian spirit) of the paterfamilias, the juno (guardian spirit) of the materfamilias, and deities with special meaning for the family.

https://oro.open.ac.uk/79388/1/79388.pdf

Aedicula (plural, aediculae)
A small shrine enclosing a niche for a statue. An aedicula often consists of a pediment resting on a pair of columns.

http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/roman/glossary.html

I think I would use 'masonry lararia (aediculae)'.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2023-12-08 18:02:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In the northwest corner of the portico a masonry aedicula lararium formed an arched niche on top of a solid podium. A low wall connected the columns and pillars of the portico.

https://roman-gardens.github.io/province/italia/pompeii/regi...

Noun
basamento m (plural basamentos)

the base of a column or another structure, plinth

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/basamento

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2023-12-08 18:35:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Their cult was materially located at the so-called lararia, household shrines composed of a niche or masonry aedicula, sometimes with a separate altar in front, where the worship of the other domestic deities also took place. The word lararium is rare and first appears only in the Scriptores historiae Augustae; before that period, the domestic shrine was simply called sacrarium or sacellum. But lararium will be used in this book by several writers as a conventional term to describe such household shrines.

https://irfrome.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/acta49.pdf

I've changed my mind and I think 'masonry aediculae' would be better. Aediculae are a type of lararia, which are shrines or chapels for household gods. I'm pretty sure that 'de obra' means that they were purposely built structures.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 5 hrs (2023-12-09 18:47:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Where I live in Spain, 'de obra' means made of bricks: a fence, a wall, etc. However, in this case, I wanted to know what 'aediculae de obra' looked like, whether they were free-standing or a niche in a wall, but after spending about an hour on this question, I was no nearer the answer. If I'd been able to find a decent reference, I would have posted my suggestion.

Helena Chavarria
Spain
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Note to reference poster

Asker: Thanks. The context is more nuanced than that as the text is a very technical description of the different types of cult structures in Roman homes but 'masonry aediculae' works quite nicely for two of three references.

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations

de obra

English translation: masonry

Answers

Reference comments

KudoZ™ translation help

Your current localization setting

Select a language

de obra

English translation: masonry

Answers

Reference comments

KudoZ™ translation help

You have native languages that can be verified

Your current localization setting

Select a language