Glossary of Memorials Terms
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
- A -
- Address: the street or road address of the memorial, for example, 24 Main Street.
- Arch: a curved structure usually used as an opening or a support for a bridge, doorway, etc. In the case of memorials, an arch is usually used as an entrance to a park, a garden or a memorial site (see also TYPE) (Example).
- B -
- Background: a brief paragraph providing available details on the memorial's erection, unveiling, dedication, location and imagery found on the memorial.
- Bust: a sculpture of a person's head, shoulders and chest (see also TYPE) (Example).
- C -
- Cairn: a pile stones or bricks, usually cemented together, roughly in the shape of a pyramid (see also TYPE) (Example).
- Cenotaph: an overarching term which includes all memorials which remember those who have died (their bodies), but who are not entombed within the memorial. This covers many of Canada's military memorials and is not used to define any particular memorial under the category of “type” (see also TYPE).
- Columns: see “Pillars”. (see also TYPE)
- Cross: often depicted as a Cross of Sacrifice based on the design of British memorial makers in the 1920s and 1930s (see also TYPE) (Example).
- D -
- Diorama: a small-scale reproduction of a scene containing three-dimensional objects (see also TYPE) (Example).
- Display: an exhibition of various memorial items, such as medals, photographs, etc (see also TYPE) (Example).
- E -
- F -
- G -
- H -
- Headstone: a typical headstone as found in a cemetery. Looks like a stele, but is smaller and usually found in a cemetery or grave site (see also TYPE) (Example).
- I -
- Inscription: the inscription as it appears on the memorial. Please note that these memorials are historical artefacts and the text appears here only in the language found on the memorial, normally English or French (but sometimes Gaelic or a First Nations' language).
- J -
- K -
- L -
- Location: the PHYSICAL site/location of the memorial, for example, Memorial Park.
- M -
- Memorial: an object erected in memory of one or more individuals. In this project, the memorials included pertain to military remembrances of all nationalities and periods within Canadian borders.
- Memorial Number: the number assigned to the memorial by the project administrators.
- Monument: used in this project to define any memorial incorporating more than one of the single types of memorials listed here, such as items joined together, like a statue and a stone shaft or separate pieces still forming a single memorial, such as a cairn and a weapon (see also TYPE) (Example).
- Municipality: the village, town, city or other type of municipality where the memorial is located.
- Mural: a painting made on a wall, often outside and usually a large image (see also TYPE) (Example).
- N -
- O -
- P -
- Perpetual Flame: an actual flame kept burning in remembrance of fallen military members (see also TYPE) (Example).
- Photo Credit: the photographer of the images of a memorial in this project.
- Pillars: slender, vertical columns usually made of stone or concrete (see also TYPE) (Example).
- Plaque: an ornamental tablet usually fastened to a wall or a memorial but, occasionally, on their own. In memorials they are usually made metal (see also TYPE) (Example).
- Province: the province in which the memorial is located.
- Pyramid: see “Cairn”. (see also TYPE)
- Q -
- R -
- Reference Point: used to help locate the memorial, this point is the general direction or context of the memorial found within a specific LOCATION, for example, across from the post office or North side/wall.
- S -
- Sarcophagus: an elaborately decorated coffin, usually made of cement or stone (if placed outdoors) (see also TYPE) (Example Tomb of the Unknown Soldier).
- Sculpture: items or forms created from various types of material, including stone and metal (see also TYPE) (Example, see the accompaniment to the cross).
- Shaft (or stone shaft): a square column of stone or cement, often topped by a statue or other item (see also TYPE) (Example).
- Slab (or stone slab): a piece or “chunk” or stone, usually ragged in appearance except for one side upon which a plaque or an inscription appears (see also TYPE) (Example).
- Statue: the depiction of a person or animal, usually done in stone or metal (see also TYPE) (Example).
- Stele (plural, Stelia): an upright slab of stone in the shape of a headstone, only larger, and not square like a shaft (see also TYPE) (Example).
- Surveyor: the name of the individual who submitted the information about this memorial.
- T -
- Type: the type of memorial, based on loose categories, as defined below. Numerous other types of memorials (or components of monuments) are more apparent in their description and include such items as aircraft, anchors, antennae, bridges, buildings, certificates, flagpoles, fountains, gardens, helmets, lances, parks, pictures, rifles, street names and wall hangings:
Arch, Bust, Cairn, Cenotaph, Cross, Columns, Diorama, Display, Headstone, Memorial, Monument, Mural, Obelisk, Perpetual Flame, Pillars, Plaque, Sarcophagus, Sculpture, Shaft (or stone shaft), Slab (or stone slab), Statue, Stele (plural, Stelia), Wall, Weapon
- U -
- V -
- W -
- Wall: a wall, usually made of wood, cement, stone or metal. Sometimes it is hung on a normal wall as a hanging memorial (see also TYPE) (Example).
- Weapon: various types of military weaponry, including cannons, guns, tanks and armoured and non-armoured vehicles (see also TYPE) (Example).
