Via Dolorosa

1 9.6

A street in Jerusalem that pilgrims walk to remember the route Jesus took to his crucifixion

proper noun

Literature

: Vía Dolorosa

Pilgrims that follow the path of Via Dolorosa are seen below, reading verses and singing while holding a wooden cross.

Examples

The Via Dolorosa procession takes place every Friday at 3 PM, starting from Station 1, and is led by the Franciscans.
This area includes several Muslim and Christian religious institutions and the Via Dolorosa.

Academic text (2004)
These two sites, however, would require a substantial rerouting of the Via Dolorosa, or the Way of the Cross—Jesus' path from condemnation to entombment that snakes through Jerusalem's Old City.

Academic text (2004)
The Via Dolorosa is considered to be one of the most ancient spiritual walking routes for Christians the world over.

Surface Forms

Via Dolorosa main

Morphology

via + Dolorosa

The components are compositionally meaningful: 'via' = way/route and 'Dolorosa' = sorrowful, so a learner could infer a literal 'sorrowful way.' However, the MWE is a fixed proper name referring to a specific pilgrimage route in Jerusalem tied to Christian tradition, so the precise referent and cultural-historical significance are not fully predictable from the parts alone.

Etymology

The Via Dolorosa is the well-known path in Jerusalem that people believe Jesus walked while carrying his cross on the way to be crucified. The name comes from Latin: via means road and dolorosa means 'sorrow', so pilgrims walk it today to remember Jesus' 'suffering'.