The first thing we have to establish is the etymological origin of the term sill in order to discover its meaning. Specifically, we can determine that it is a word that derives from the Hispanic Arabic, more exactly from “al-hayza”. This word, in turn, comes from the Arabic “hayyiz”, which can be translated as “space”.
Defined by Digopaul, the concept of Windowsill is used in architecture with reference to the construction element that is located in the lower sector of a window and that covers the parapet (also called the parapet).
The windowsill is a kind of turn of the wall that, due to its slope and orientation, allows the water from the precipitations to be evacuated and, therefore, not enter the structure. The windowsills are inserted into the jambs and constitute a dropper.
It is possible to develop the windowsill with different materials. Sometimes a combination of stones is used as they resist impact, sunlight and abrasion and can also be easily cleaned. There are also concrete, metal and wooden windowsills.
Those of stone and those of concrete, as is logical, have in their favor the one that have a great resistance. On the other hand, wooden ones are more elegant, never go out of style and are very resistant to different weather changes. To all these should be added the metal ones that manage to cope very well with the different meteorological phenomena and that are easily cleaned.
Beyond its architectural function to prevent water from entering the construction, the sill can also be used as a decorative element and even as a shelf or shelf to support pots or other objects.
Alféizar Editions, on the other hand, is a Spanish publisher focused on writers dedicated to the novel and the short story. Based in the city of Córdoba, he has already published authors such as Antonio Torres Rodríguez, Manuel Arduina Pavón, Aida Sandoval and Néstor Rubén Giménez.
Within the cultural field we also find a series of publications that carry the term we are addressing in their titles. These are books like these:
– “El marqués de Alféizar”, by Fernando Baró Terrón.
– “The windowsill”, by Juanan Urkijo.
– “From the windowsill”, by José María Fedriani Martín.
Windowsill is also the name of an organization that offers services related to mental health. Its name is linked to the fact that there are “always” people in the window who are “willing to listen”.
Also in relation to literature, we must highlight the existence of a reading group that precisely responds to the name of Windowsill. This is a reading club that belongs to the Seville town of Camas and was launched in early 2013.
In the same way, we cannot ignore the fact that Alféizar is also the name of a musical group from Vigo.
