WINDOW (connected with wind, as Lat. fenestra with ventus) is an opening in the wall of a building for the admission of light and air. In the east, from time immemorial, windows open, not upon the street, but upon the court, and are usually provided with lattices or jalousies. The Chinese use, instead of window-glass, a thin stuff varnished with shining lac, polished oyster-shells, and thin plates of horn. Among the Romans windows were originally closed with shutters; afterward they were made of a transpar ent stone, 104 spec Warts, which, from the description, can be nothing else than mica; and, in the 2d c. after Christ, of horn. According to some there are traces of glass win dows having been used iu Pompeii; but the matter is doubtful. The first indisputable mention of glass windows is made by Gregory of Tours in the 4th c. of our era, who speaks of church windows of colored glass. Wilfrid (q.v.), on succeeding to the arch bishopric of York in 669, filled the vacant windows of the cathedral with glass. In 674 abbot Benedict Biscop brought artists from France to glaze the windows of the abbey of Weremouth; and the bishop of Worcester did the same in 726. Leo III., in the end of the 8th c., put glass windows into the church of the Lateran. Glass began to be used in windows of private houses in England as early as 1180; in France in the 14th cen tury. As late as 1458 it struck 2Eneas Sylvius very much that in Vienna most of the windows were glazed. See GLASS.
In ancient temple architecture, windows were uuknown-J-the light being obtained from openings in the roof. In Gothic architecture, however, the window is one of the most important features, giving, by the infinite variety of its outline, and the graceful forms of its tracery, as much character and beauty to the Gothic edifices as the styles and colonnades of ancient art gave to the classic temples.
In the early Gothic or Norman style, the windows were small and comparatively stunted—they were either simple openings with semicircular head, or two such grouped together with a larger arch over both, and with the usual moldings and ornaments of the style. The inside had generally a deep splay, and simple molding on the outside. Small circular windows sometimes occur in Norman work.
In the early English style the windows were more elongated, and had pointed arches. They are frequently grouped in twos or threes, and placed so close that the wall between becomes a mullion. The wall over the group contained within the inclosing arch then becomes perforated with a quatrefoil or other ornamental opening, and thus the simpler forms of tracery become introduced. The interior arches are splayed off, and are fre
quently very elaborately decorated with shafts and arch moldings. The lancet window (so called from its shape) is common in this style. Circular windows are also used with tracery formed by little radiating shafts with small arches. The triangular window, on a small scale, is also occasionally to be met with.
It is in the decorated style that the windows become enlarged and filled with mullions and tracery. This is at first simple, and composed of geometric figures such as the ori gin and progress of tracery (q.v.) naturally led to. As the style advanced, more flowing forms were introduced, until, in the 15th e., the tracery passed into the perpendicular i style (q.v.) in England, and into the flamboyant (q.v.) in France. The heads of the 'Hits, and the apertures in the tracery, are usually foiled, and the inner jambs are spayed and ornamented with moldings, shafts, etc. In elaborately traceried windows, t ie jamb and arch moldings are occasionally very small, but they are usually bold and deep.
In the later Tudor style the window-beads became flattened into the four-center arch. and in the time of Elizabeth and James I. the arch gave place altogether to the flat lintel with the opening divided by mullions into rectangular lights, sometimes foiled at top. Circular windows, with elaborate tracery, are chiefly found in the decorated period.
In domestic buildings the windows are similar to the above, but square-headed win doors occur more frequently to suit the height of the floors; and the space between the• sill and the floor is recessed and fitted with seats. Transoms are also of common occur ence. The bow or bay window (q.v.) is also a frequent and very elegant feature iu the later Gothic buildings.
In the revived classic styles the windows are almost invariably plain rectangular openings, with either a flat lintel or semicircular arch-head. They have sometimes architraves round the jambs and lintel, or are ornamented with pillars supporting an entablature or pediment above. The architraves are frequently carved, and the cornices carried on trusses at each side.
The style of shop-fronts has been much modified, and the windows enlarged, in con sequence of the facilities afforded by the use of plate-glass.