Gazebos

19th Century American Gazebo

This is what the Yellow Field is like in the Moonlight, just in case you need to know.
( Nothing to do with Gazebos)

A Gazebo on Lake Okanagan in Penticton donated by the Italian Community

Gazebo is an unusual word. It doesn't seem to have a proper etymology, so here goes. I think it is a place where you can be and gaze. Gaze is straightforward. The "bo" part means dwell in Danish. So why not? A place to dwell upon the view. The word is said to include pagoda, pavilion, kiosk, belvedere, folly, alambra, pergola, and rotunda. But I am not so sure. Our bank has a rotunda on top. Doesn't seem like a gazebo. Anyway, it can also be big and have an orchestra or band playing in it.

First Nations ( Native Indian ) Gazebos in the Shushwap Region of BC.
 Used for Ceremonies, Weddings etc. February 2011.

Music Stand Gazebo by Skaha Lake. February 2011.

 It seems to obviously offer shelter, and some are even equipped with mosquito netting. There are similarities to a place where dead bodies are put before the funeral at churches, maybe waiting for the funeral procession to assemble. These are called Lych Gates. Lych means corpse. But I digress. We once built a similar place along our garden fence for afternoon tea. In UK on village greens there are often to be found ancient constructions originally to cover well-heads, sell lace, hold Saturday markets, or just for meeting places, and so on. Anyway, here are a couple of gazebo pictures...by the way, the word was first used in England around 1750.