pentwise

[pars]

Hi!
What is the exact meaning of "pentwise" in the following sentence?

Pentwise, a sound construction for a mosque.

It is from an old text (nearly 115 years ago) describing mosques in Syria.
Has it any exact synonym in modern English?

Thanks very much.

 

[emsr2d2]

I found this picture on the net, accompanied by the following text: "This is not the defect of the charming, dusky, white - robed person who, in the Tangerine subject exhibited at the Salon of 1880 [Fumée d'Ambre Gris] (the fruit of an excursion to the African coast at the time of the artist’s visit to Spain), stands on a rug, under a great white Moorish arch, and from out of the shadows of the large drapery, raised pentwise by her hands, which covers her head, looks down, with painted eyes and brows showing above a bandaged mouth, at the fumes of a beautiful censer or chafing-dish placed on the carpet." (Source: http://www.jssgallery.org/Essay/Harpers_John_S_Sargent/JohnSSargent_by_Henry_James688.htm)

Does that help? (I'm not sure it helps me!) It sounds as if it's referring to the shape of the cloth made by holding it over her head but I'm not clear on how that fits your original sentence.

Also, see the definition of a "pent roof" here.

 

[Skrej]

A pent roof is a single-slope roof, like on sheds or those small roofs that hang just above the first floor doors and windows, which connect only to a wall and don't have posts r columns for support (unlike a true porch roof).

Not sure if that's related to the text or not without seeing some more context.

 

[bhaisahab]

Perhaps it's referring to a pentagonal construction. https://uk.search.yahoo.com/search;...129&fr=mcafee&ei=UTF-8&p=pentagonal&fr2=12642