pyre
UK[ˈpaɪə(r)]US[ˈpaɪər]
n
A large pile of wood on which a dead body is ceremonially burned.
Etymology
The word 'pyre' entered English in the late 14th century via Latin 'pyra', which itself came from the Greek word 'pyrá', meaning "funeral pyre" or "hearth." The Greek term is directly derived from 'pŷr', the word for "fire." This etymological journey is a direct and literal one, where the ancient Greek word for the element itself came to specify the ceremonial structure built from it. The modern English meaning retains this precise and solemn sense of a constructed fire for cremation, preserving the core logic of its classical origins.
Analysis
The word 'pyre' is a simplex loanword from Greek. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
The ancient Vikings were said to send their heroes to Valhalla on a flaming pyre.
They built a funeral pyre on the beach as the sun set.
The scent of sandalwood rose from the smoldering pyre.