| Belvedere The word 'Belvedere' comes from the Italian Bel = beautiful + vedere = to see. The most famous belvederes are the Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Forte Belvedere in Florence and Fort Belvedere used by the Duke of Windsor prior to his abdication. In time it has come to mean a nice place to sit and admire the view, such as a summerhouse, and the word 'belvedere' is used by the Italians, the French, the Spanish, and now the English. |
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Gazebo The word 'Gazebo' is of English origin coming from "to gaze" = look about + a spoof Latin ending 'bo' as in amabo, amabas, amabat. Interestingly you now see the word gazebo widely used in Italian gardening magazines. Gazebo is so widely used and abused in England it has lost all descriptive power, which is why Belleweather now describe their products as 'solid walled' Gazebos. |
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Bower The Oxford Dictionary description (poetic/literary) = a summerhouse or country cottage. Origin: Old English for a dwelling, inner room; of Germanic origin. |
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Folly Widely used in English for unusual and idiosyncratic buildings, not always particularly useful. Origin - middle English from old French 'folie' = madness. In modern French also 'delight, favourite dwelling'. French definition Le Robert Micro: Folie, maison, Edifice d'agrement (mot repris en architecture). |
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Arcadia Comes from the Latin 'arcadius'; Greek 'arkadia'. In Poetic fantasy Arcadia was a pastoral paradise. |
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Arcadian Link A design concept pioneered by Belleweather for a flat-roof link between a pair of Belvederes or Gazebos, providing the user with partial shelter and dappled sunlight. |
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Belleweather The word 'Belleweather' is the generic trade name for our range of copyright designs. It comes from the French word 'belle' = beautiful + the English word bellwether = a leading sheep in a flock or an indicator or predictor of something. There is a further play on words from the inclusion of the word weather - part of our emphasis on the all-weather aspect of our designs. |
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Roundelle Roundelle - from English Roundel. OED a picture or pattern contained in a circle |
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Copyright Belleweather January 2003 - but may be freely reproduced with acknowledgement to Belleweather. |
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