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Glossary of church terms

The words you will meet in this museum and in an Ethiopian Orthodox church, briefly explained.

ታቦት Tabot: The consecrated altar tablet kept in the sanctuary. It represents the Ark of the Covenant, and it is the tabot — not the building — that makes a church a church. It is never shown uncovered.
መቅደስ Maqdas: The Holy of Holies, the innermost room of the church, where the tabot rests. Only priests and deacons enter it.
ቅድስት Qeddest: The middle part of the church, where the faithful receive Holy Communion.
ቅኔ ማኅሌት Qene Mahlet: The outer part of the church, where the cantors sing and the people stand to pray.
ቅዳሴ Kidase: The Divine Liturgy, the service of Holy Communion.
ዜማ Zema: The sacred chant of the Ethiopian Church, attributed to Saint Yared, sung in three modes: Ge’ez, Ezel and Araray.
ማኅሌት Mahlet: The service of chant and praise sung by the cantors, often through the night before a feast.
ደብተራ Debtera: A learned cantor of the church, trained for years in chant, poetry and the church books.
ግዕዝ Ge’ez: The classical language of Ethiopia. It is no longer spoken at home, but it remains the language of the Scriptures and the liturgy.
ፊደል Fidel: The Ge’ez script, in which each letter stands for a consonant together with a vowel.
ብራና Birana: Parchment made from animal skin, on which the church’s books were written by hand.
ሐረግ Harag: The interlaced ornament, like a climbing vine, that frames the opening pages of manuscripts.
ማኅደር Mahdar: The leather case in which a book is carried, slung over the shoulder.
ገድል Gedl: The written life of a saint, telling of his or her struggles and miracles.
ስንክሳር Senkessar: The Synaxarium: the book that gives the saints and events remembered on each day of the year.
ጸናጽል Tsenatsil: The sistrum, a metal rattle shaken in time with the chant.
ከበሮ Kebero: The large double-headed church drum.
መቋሚያ Mequamia: The prayer staff on which the clergy lean during long services, and which marks the rhythm of the chant.
ነጠላ Netela: The thin white cotton shawl worn to church.
ጾም Tsom: Fasting. On fast days the faithful eat no meat, eggs or dairy; there are seven great fasts in the year, besides most Wednesdays and Fridays.
ደመራ Demera: The great bonfire lit on the eve of Meskel, the feast of the finding of the True Cross.
ተዋሕዶ Tewahedo: “Made one” — the name of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, expressing its faith that the divinity and humanity of Christ are united in one nature.