epitaph
EP-ih-taf
/ˈɛpɪtæf/
A phrase or short statement written in memory of a person who has died, especially one inscribed on a gravestone.
Focuses specifically on short, memorable inscriptions on monuments or gravestones.
The story behind the word. Directly from Ancient Greek 'epitaphion', combining 'epi' (upon) and 'taphos' (tomb or grave). Originally, it referred to a funeral speech or poem delivered at a tomb before settling into its modern meaning of a carved inscription.
Word relationships
- inscription: Inscription refers to any carved text on a monument, building, or book, not only on gravestones.
- epigraph: An epigraph is a quotation at the beginning of a book or chapter, not a gravestone text.
Commonly confused with
- epigraph: An epigraph opens a book or chapter; an epitaph rests on a tombstone.
- epithet: An epithet is a descriptive word or nickname (e.g., 'Alexander the Great').
Collocations
- inscribe an epitaph
- moving epitaph
- fitting epitaph
- brief epitaph
Example sentences
- "The ancient headstone was worn by time, but its Latin epitaph was still legible." Gravestone reading
- "In his famous epitaph, W. B. Yeats wrote: 'Cast a cold eye on life, on death. Horseman, pass by!'" Literary epitaph (W. B. Yeats, 'Under Ben Bulben')
Memory hook
EPI (upon) + TAPH (tomb). Text written upon a tomb. Words carved upon stone for eternity.
When not to use
Do not confuse with an obituary (newspaper article) or a eulogy (speech).
Fun facts
- Spike Milligan famously chose the humorous epitaph for his headstone: 'I told you I was ill.'
Also appears in
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