Generally, a graveyard is associated with a church. This is because churches need space to bury their members.
Re-use of old graves in a cemetery can cause distress to some family members. Even if the authorities decide that it is necessary to re-use these graves, public notice has to be given.
Origin
The words cemetery and graveyard seem interchangeable these days, but they weren’t always. Changing attitudes toward the need for the body in the afterlife, different ways of commemorating the dead, and practical considerations regarding burial have all played roles in the evolution of cemeteries and graveyards.
The older of the two words, cemetery, derives from the Latin word coemeterium, which in turn descended from the Greek koimeterion, meaning “sleeping place.” This suggests that the term indicates land set aside specifically for burial, rather than an open field or any other kind of space.
In early Christian times, churchyards were the only places where Christians could be buried. As a result, the burial ground within a churchyard became known as the graveyard. Often, a special ceremony was conducted to mark the consecration of the graveyard. This would involve an animal being buried in the graveyard first so that it could watch over the resting souls. This might seem a bit morbid for modern sensibilities, but it was an important way to ensure that the graveyard was properly cared for and that it was protected.
Meaning
A graveyard is a place where people are buried. It is often located near a church. It is also a place where people visit to pay their respects to the dead.
Traditionally, a graveyard is affiliated with a particular church and located on the grounds of that church. As populations grew, however, church graveyards quickly became full. As a result, independent sites called cemeteries were created to provide additional space for burials.
Today, the terms graveyard and cemetery are often used interchangeably. If you want to be grammatically precise, however, it is best to use the word graveyard when referring to a burial ground affiliated with a church and the word cemetery when describing more modern, separate sites that are not associated with any particular church. Then, you can be sure that your audience understands the difference.
Etymology
A graveyard is an area of land, often adjacent to a church, where people are buried. It gets its name from the Old English word cimetiere, which is derived from the Greek term koimeterion, meaning “a sleeping place.” The church was the only institution allowed to bury its members in Europe, so a cemetery was simply part of a churchyard.
The etymology of the word grave is less obvious than its figurative use, as it comes from Middle English graven, which is a form of the verb grafen (“to dig, carve, chisel”). It is related to Dutch graben, Danish graven, and German Graben, and to Latin gravis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ghrabh- (“to dig, scratch, scrape”).
In some cases, a graveyard was used as a symbol of pride. For example, Absalom erected monuments to himself in his graveyard ( 2 Sam 18:18 ). It is also the name of an hour on television that features documentaries and reruns of lame old movies, called the “graveyard shift.” See also Burial Ground and Resting Place.
Examples
In fiction, writers can use graveyard to describe a place where the dead are buried. However, it’s important to note that a graveyard is different from a cemetery. A graveyard is typically located near a church, whereas a cemetery is more commonly found in a neighborhood.
In addition, a graveyard is often smaller and less manicured than a cemetery. It’s also common for a graveyard to contain older tombstones that aren’t as neatly arranged.
Using graveyard in your fiction can add an element of drama or suspense. For example, if your main character is walking through an empty graveyard late at night, it could set a creepy mood. It’s also helpful to consider your character’s background when describing the graveyard, including their beliefs and how they feel about death. This will help you develop a more realistic scene for your readers.