# Norwegian: praktstol



## ordentlig

Hi again,

I was wondering if someone could help me with a translation of the word _praktstol_.  I get what each half of the word means individually, but should it translate to something different than 'decorative chair' or something like that?  Thanks!


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## hanne

Please provide context as required by the forum rules. Where did you find this word?


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## ordentlig

Hi Hanne,

It's in a discussion of furniture in the second half of the 16th century and the sentence is "Vi begynner med en praktstol fra kirken i Fnjóskadalur."  I hope this helps!


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## kms

I'm not sure about this, but I think "praktstol" is not a just a decorative chair, but something used as a status symbol. An example of this could be a throne / seat of honour.


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## Claribelsofia

I believe a "praktstol" is a chair that is beautifully decoratated, not necessarily a throne or similar. however, a throne would most definitly be a "praktstol". As your example is related to a church, I guess this "praktstol" is a decorated chair that is reserved for an important churchgoer.


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## jolos2

A praktstol is really not a word we Norwegians use a lot. We merge words into new words all the time in our daily language (as the Germans and other Scandinavians do), such as _askefast_ means _stuck because of ashes_.

A praktstol is a chair which have a high back and looks beautiful, we have those chairs around the alter in churches for the people working at the church to sit (when they are not doing tasks). E.g. during the _nattverd_, the priest stands at the alter, and the other people normally sit in a _praktstol _if they are not occupied with other tasks. So, it's not something specific, but rather just means a beautiful and somewhat "mighty looking" chair.


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## ordentlig

Thanks for everyone's help!  Thanks for clarifying that not only the priest sits in one, jolos2, since I thought it might be a 'presider's chair,' where only the priest sits.


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## hanne

jolos2 said:


> A praktstol is a chair which have a high back and looks beautiful, we have those chairs around the alter in churches for the people working at the church to sit (when they are not doing tasks). E.g. during the _nattverd_, the priest stands at the alter, and the other people normally sit in a _praktstol _if they are not occupied with other tasks. So, it's not something specific, but rather just means a beautiful and somewhat "mighty looking" chair.


I'm a bit confused about what you mean here. Is it or isn't it a specific object? Is it any kind of fancy/beautiful chair (what I'd have thought), or is it only a chair used for the mentioned purpose in a church (as the first part of your explanation indicates)?


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## jolos2

You can have a praktstol in your living room, but when speaking about it in a church setting it's those chairs which often are near the alter. I haven't heard the word as something exclusive for churches, and I would find it very off if it was.


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## NorwegianNYC

If anything, the prefix "prakt-" equates English "grand"


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