Rotunda
/roʊˈtʌn.də/noun
A round building or room, often covered by a dome.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *rotundus*, “round,” which is related to *rota*, “wheel”—so a rotunda is linguistically connected to the spinning wheel.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ret-
“To run, roll, or move in a circular motion”
Classical Latin
Latin
rota
“Wheel”
Classical Latin
Latin
rotundus
“Round or circular”
Late Latin
Latin
rotunda
“A round building or structure”
16th Century
Italian
rotonda
“A circular building, especially one with a dome”
17th Century
English
rotunda
“A round or domed building or room”
Modern English
English
rotunda
“A large circular room or building, commonly crowned by a dome”