capela

Capela is the Portuguese word for a chapel, describing a small church or private place of worship. In Lusophone contexts, a capela can refer to a standalone religious building or to a subsidiary chapel attached to a larger church, used for prayer, rites, or small gatherings. The term is common in Portugal, Brazil, and other Portuguese-speaking regions and is sometimes used in place names to indicate historical or present chapels.

Etymology and usage: Capela comes from Latin capella, the diminutive of cappa (cape or cloak), a historical reference to small, private chapel spaces associated with residences or churches. Over time, the word broadened to denote various small places of worship as well as the architectural form itself.

Geography and toponymy: Capela, Sergipe, is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Sergipe. The toponym Capela appears in several Portuguese-speaking areas, often reflecting the historical presence of a chapel at a site or in the naming of towns and parishes.

People: Capela is also a surname in Portuguese-speaking communities, carried by individuals in various professional fields.

In summary, Capela denotes a small religious space in Lusophone contexts and also functions as a geographic name and a family name within Portuguese-speaking regions.