elegy
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle French elegie, from Latin elegīa, itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek ἐλεγείᾱ (elegeíā), ellipsis of ἐλεγείᾱ ᾠδή (elegeíā ōidḗ, “an elegiac song”).
Pronunciation edit
- (General American, Received Pronunciation, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈɛlɪd͡ʒi/
- Hyphenation: el‧e‧gy
Audio (UK) (file) Audio (CA) (file)
Noun edit
elegy (plural elegies)
- A mournful or plaintive poem; a funeral song; a poem of lamentation. [from early 16th c.]
- (music) A composition of mournful character.
- A classical poem written in elegiac meter
Usage notes edit
Because the words elegy and eulogy sound and look similar and both concern speeches or poems associated with someone's death and funeral, they are easily confused. A simple key to remembering the difference is that an elegy is chiefly about lamenting whereas a eulogy is chiefly about praising (and eu- = "good").
Synonyms edit
- See dirge
Coordinate terms edit
- requiem – a piece of music played at a mass for the dead
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
mournful or plaintive poem or song
|