mausoleum
UK: ˌmɔːsəˈliːəm | US: ˌmɔːsəˈliːəm
n. a large, stately tomb or burial place, often for a prominent figure.
mausoleum = mausol<Mausolus> + eum<suffix indicating place>
- mausol: Named after Mausolus, a 4th-century BCE ruler of Caria (modern-day Turkey), whose elaborate tomb became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
- eum: A Latin suffix used to form nouns denoting places (e.g., museum, coliseum).
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the monumental tomb built for Mausolus by his widow, Artemisia. The structure’s grandeur made its name synonymous with large tombs. Latin adopted mausoleum from Greek mausōleion, preserving the root Mausol- while adding the place-denoting suffix -eum.
The pharaoh’s mausoleum was adorned with intricate hieroglyphs.
Tourists flock to visit the ancient mausoleum of a forgotten king.
The wealthy merchant commissioned a private mausoleum for his family.
The Taj Mahal is often called the world’s most beautiful mausoleum.
Archaeologists uncovered artifacts near the ruined mausoleum.