Pallbearer
/ˈpɔːlˌbɛrər/noun
A person who carries or accompanies a coffin at a funeral.
Did you know?The pall was originally a ceremonial cloth laid over a coffin or altar, and the word comes from Latin *pallium*—the same root behind *palliate*, meaning to cloak or soften something.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pel-
“to cover, spread over, or hide”
Latin
Latin
pallium
“a cloak or mantle”
Late Latin
Latin
pallium
“a ceremonial covering or drape”
Middle English
English
pall
“a cloth spread over a coffin or altar”
Early Modern English
English
pall-bearer
“a person who carries or attends the pall at a funeral”
Modern English
English
pallbearer
“a person who carries or accompanies a coffin at a funeral”