nave

Etymology 1

Ultimately from Latin nāvem, singular accusative of nāvis, possibly via a Romance source. Doublet of nef and nau.

noun

  1. (architecture) The middle or body of a church, extending from the transepts to the principal entrances.
  2. (architecture) The ground-level middle cavity of a barn.

Etymology 2

From Middle English nave, from Old English nafu, from Proto-West Germanic *nabu, from Proto-Germanic *nabō (compare Dutch naaf, German Nabe, Swedish nav), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃nebʰ- (“navel, hub”) (compare Latin umbō (“shield boss”), Latvian naba, Sanskrit नभ्य (nabhya)).

noun

  1. A hub of a wheel.
  2. (obsolete) The navel.

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