www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Byzantine terminology??

It's interested me ever since my family and I were first exposed to Byzantine Catholicism back in our Alaska days.

I've never seen nor heard of a glossary / encyclopedia of Byzantine Christian terminology before, but I'm hoping there's someone on the Forum who might know of such an animal.

I know (or think I know) that an akathist and a panakhida (sp?) are prayers, but would like to find some reference that describes / defines the various public and private prayers and, if possible, the origin of the names for the various public and private, liturgical and devotional prayers. Some I know are Greek in origin ("trisagion" meaning "thrice-holy"), but others I'm not so sure of or have no idea what type of prayer they are, what the names mean or what language they're derived from.

Likewise, I'd be interested in terminology related to the parts / areas of the temple, vestments and various temple and liturgical furnishings associated with Byzantine Christianity. Again, I know that tetrapod ("4 feet" or "4 legged") and iconostas or iconostasis ("icon stand") are Greek in origin, but.....?

Anybody know where I could start?

Thanks and God bless,

S

I've never seen nor heard of a glossary / encyclopedia of Byzantine Christian terminology before, but I'm hoping there's someone on the Forum who might know of such an animal.

The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity is a good beginning and an essential resource.