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Origin and history of tabernacle

tabernacle(n.)

mid-13c., "portable sanctuary carried by the Israelites in the wilderness," from Old French tabernacle "the Jewish Tabernacle; tent, canopy; tomb, monument" (12c.), from Latin tabernaculum "tent," especially "a tent of an augur" (for taking observations), diminutive of taberna "hut, cabin, booth" (see tavern).

The sense of the word in English shifted by late 14c. to "the Temple in Jerusalem" (which continued the function of the tabernacle). Also in Biblical language, "the body as the temporary abode of the soul" (late 14c.). By late 15c. as a name for a receptacle for the eucharist.

The sense of "house of worship" (generally a temporary one or somehow otherwise distinguished from a church) is by 1690s; especially in reference to places of worship for Nonconformists (1768).

The Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles (mid-October) was observed as a thanksgiving for harvest. This was rendered in English c. 1400 as Feste of Logges ("lodges"). Related: Tabernacular. A late 15c. adjective was tabernaculid "covered with a canopy."

also from mid-13c.

Entries linking to tabernacle

tavern(n.)

c. 1300, "establishment that sells and serves drinks and food," from Old French taverne (mid-13c.) "shed made of boards, booth, stall," also "tavern, inn," from Latin taberna "shop, inn, tavern," originally "hut, shed, rude dwelling."

For -b- to -v- shift, compare Old French governer "to steer" from Latin gubernare. Taverner "tavern-keeper" as a surname is from late 12c.; Taberner is attested from late 13c. as a surname, perhaps from Latin tabernarius. 

Þe tauerne is þe deueles scole hous, for pere studieþ his disciples, and þere lerneþ his scolers, and þere is his owne chapel, þere men and wommen redeþ and syngeþ and serueþ hym. [The Book of Vices and Virtues, c.1400]
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    synagogue
    late 12c., sinagog, "the regular public worship and religious instruction of the Jews," also a place or building for Hebrew worship, from Old French sinagoge "synagogue, mosque, pagan temple" (11c., Modern French synagogue), from Late Latin synagoga "congregation of Jews," from G
    temple
    "building for worship, edifice dedicated to the service of a deity or deities," Old English tempel, from Latin templum "piece of ground consecrated for the taking of auspices, building for worship of a god," of uncertain signification. Commonly referred to PIE root *tem- "to cut,
    sanctum
    1570s, "holy place of the Jewish tabernacle," from Latin sanctum "a holy place," as in Late Latin sanctum sanctorum "holy...
    sanctuary
    early 14c., seintuarie, sentwary, etc., "consecrated place, building set apart for holy worship; holy or sacred object," from Anglo-French sentuarie, Old French saintuaire "sacred relic, holy thing; reliquary, sanctuary," from Late Latin sanctuarium "a sacred place, shrine" (espe
    communication
    early 15c., communicacioun, "act of communicating, act of imparting, discussing, debating, or conferring," from Old French comunicacion (14c., Modern French communication) and directly from Latin communicationem (nominative communicatio) "a making common, imparting, communicating
    communicate
    1520s, "to impart (information, etc.); to give or transmit (a quality, feeling, etc.) to another," from Latin communicatus, past participle of communicare "to share, communicate, impart, inform," literally "to make common," related to communis "common, public, general" (see commo
    bunting
    "light woolen stuff loosely woven, flag-material," 1742, of uncertain origin; perhaps from a dialectal survival of Middle English bonting "sifting," verbal noun from bonten "to sift," because cloth was used for sifting grain. The Middle English verb is via Old French, from Vulgar
    catholic
    mid-14c., catholik, "of the doctrines of the ancient Church" (before the East/West schism), literally "universally accepted," from French catholique, from Church Latin catholicus "universal, general," from Greek katholikos, from phrase kath' holou "on the whole, in general," from
    gang
    from Old English gang "a going, journey, way, passage," and Old Norse gangr "a group of men, a set," both from Proto-Germanic *gangaz (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Danish, Dutch, Old High German, German gang, Old Norse gangr, Gothic gagg "act of going"), of uncertain or
    badminton
    outdoor game similar to lawn tennis but played with a shuttlecock, 1874, from Badminton House, name of Gloucestershire estate of the Duke of Beaufort, where the game first was played in England, mid-19c., having been picked up by British officers from Indian poona. The place name

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