Wailing Wall
2
6.7
- noun
- /ˈweɪlɪŋ wɔl/
- Archaic
:
Muro de las Lamentaciones
- Many visitors come to Jerusalem to pray at the Wailing Wall, a sacred site for Jews.
One my father insisted on doing at the Wailing Wall.
- One my father insisted on doing at the Wailing Wall.
Examples
-
I am troubled by the developments at the Wailing Wall.
-
Sharon visited the Wailing Wall.
Blog text (9) -
- I need to get to the Wailing Wall.
-
I appreciate what you tried to do for me at the Wailing Wall.
-
The Wailing Wall is an important symbol.
-
I'm still going to the Wailing Wall.
-
A lot of people think they will do their work at the Wailing Wall, in Jerusalem.
-
The cream-white brickwork is part of the Wailing Wall.
Blog text (10) -
Indeed, if we visit Jerusalem today, we see devout Jews and Christians alike standing and offering prayers at the Wailing Wall.
Blog text (17) -
East Jerusalem was also a focus of rapid Jewish influx to reestablish claims to the former Jewish Quarter of the city and to secure access to the Wailing Wall, the most sacred place in Judaism.
Academic text (1990)
Synonyms
4
6.7
A remaining wall of the ancient Jewish temple in Jerusalem where people pray
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally clear — 'wailing' (crying/lamenting) + 'wall' suggests a wall where people wail — so learners who know the words can infer it refers to a wall associated with lamentation. However, it is a proper name for a specific sacred site with historical and religious significance that cannot be fully derived from the constituents alone, so full understanding (its identity as the Western/Western Wall and its cultural role) requires extra knowledge.
Etymology
Wailing Wall gets its name from the sight of people standing at the old wall and wailing, crying and praying loudly as they remember losses or ask for help. So, the name refers to a special place for 'prayer' and 'sadness'.