Definition of the word pew

The word "pew" that we commonly come across in churches can be traced back to the late 1700s. Initially, the seats that we now know as pews were not a part of the church furniture. Instead, parishioners stood during the services, and the priest sat on a raised platform called the "chantry step". As the number of churchgoers increased, it became necessary to provide seating facilities inside the church. The first chairs used in churches were generally borrowed from houses or other public places such as courts and taverns. These chairs were uncomfortable, and.at times, they would remain in church even after the service was over, causing inconvenience to the next day's congregation. To overcome this issue, in the 17th century, churches in England started to install benches made of wood. These benches did not remain in the church permanently after services, and had to be taken out and stacked at the back of the church. It was during this time that the term "pew" originated in the churches of North America. The word "pew" is an altered form of the word "pit choke," a phrase used in the logging industry, where "pew" meant a V-shaped gouge made in a tree trunk's base to let it fall in a particular direction. The benches in the churches were similar in shape to the pit choke, so the term was applied to them by the English-speaking immigrants who came to the Americas. Today, due to its association with religion, the general meaning of the word "pew" is limited to the seats in churches. Nevertheless, its origin from the logging industry highlights how language can evolve based on the use of words in different contexts.