From Latin nāvis 'ship,' because the vaulted ceiling of a church's central hall resembles an inverted ship's hull.
The central part of a church building, extending from the entrance to the chancel, where the congregation sits.
From Medieval Latin navis 'nave of a church,' from Latin nāvis 'ship.' The church nave was named for its resemblance to an inverted ship's hull—the vaulted ceiling over the long central aisle looks like the keel of a boat turned upside down. Some medieval churches actually used ship keels as roof timbers. Key roots