Puteal
/ˈpjuːtiəl/noun
A protective curb or enclosure around a well, pit, or shaft; in Roman antiquity, a sacred wellhead shrine.
Did you know?In Rome, a puteal could be treated as a holy boundary around a dangerous opening in the earth, linking everyday architecture with ritual protection.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂-
“to drink, to feed”
Latin
Latin
putēre / puteus
“to stink; a well, pit”
Classical Latin
Latin
puteāle
“a well-curb, circular stone rim around a well or pit”
Middle English
English
puteal
“a well-head or stone enclosure around a pit”
Modern English
English
puteal
“a protective curb or enclosure around a well, pit, or shaft”