Where does “epigram” come from?
Epigram comes from Middle French epigramme, from Latin epigramma, from Ancient Greek ἐπίγραμμα, combining ἐπί and γράμμα, from γράφω meaning to write, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ger-.
epigram (English): An inscription in stone; A brief but witty...
Definitions
- An inscription in stone; A brief but witty...
Ancestry of “epigram”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | epigramme | — |
| 2 | Latin | epigramma | inscription; epigram |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἐπίγραμμα | an inscription, (especially in verse), an epigram |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἐπιγράφω | graze, inscribe; I inscribe; to mark the surface |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἐπι- | on, upon, on top of, all over, covering; on,... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἐπί | as well, besides; For usage in composition, see... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | Ἡμέρα | — |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ἦμαρ | day; by day; midday |
| 9 | Proto-Hellenic | ā́mər | day |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₃mr̥ | heat |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₃- | to be hot; to burn |