In architecture, a plinth (from French plinthe, from Latin plinthus, from Greek πλίνθος plinthos, “brick”) is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture (1851) posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests directly on the ground or stylobate. According to Semper, the plinth exists to negotiate between a structure and the ground. Semper's theory has been influential in the development of architecture.