epigram

English

WOTD – 28 November 2007

Alternative forms

• epigramme

Etymology

From Middle French epigramme, from Latin epigramma, from Ancient Greek ἐπίγραμμα (epígramma, “inscription”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /ˈɛpɪɡɹæm/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

epigram (plural epigrams)

1. (obsolete) An inscription in stone.
2. A brief but witty saying.
3. A short, witty or pithy poem.

Related terms

• epigrammatic
• epigrammatist
• epigraph

Translations

inscription in stone

• French: épigramme (fr) m
• German: Epigramm (de) n
• Greek: επίγραμμα (el) n (epígramma)

  Ancient: ἐπίγραμμα n (epígramma)

• Hungarian: epigramma (hu)
• Latin: epigramma (la)
• Russian: эпигра́мма (ru) f (epigrámma)
• Spanish: epigrama (es) m

brief but witty saying

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 警句 (zh) (jǐngjù)

• Finnish: epigrammi (fi)
• French: épigramme (fr) m
• German: Epigramm (de) n
• Greek: επίγραμμα (el) n (epígramma)

  Ancient: ἐπίγραμμα n (epígramma)

• Hungarian: epigramma (hu)
• Japanese: 警句 (ja) (けいく, keiku)
• Korean: 경구 (ko) (gyeonggu)
• Latin: epigramma (la)
• Russian: афори́зм (ru) m (aforízm), сенте́нция (ru) f (sentɛ́ncija)
• Spanish: epigrama (es) m
• Tagalog: tugmatiyaw

short, witty or pithy poem

• Albanian: epigram (sq) m
• Czech: epigram (cs) m
• Dutch: hekelrijm
• Esperanto: epigramo
• Finnish: epigrammi (fi)
• French: épigramme (fr) m
• German: Epigramm (de) n, Sinngedicht (de) n
• Greek: επίγραμμα (el) n (epígramma)

  Ancient Greek: ἐπίγραμμα n (epígramma)

• Hungarian: epigramma (hu)
• Irish: burdún m
• Latin: epigramma (la)
• Russian: эпигра́мма (ru) f (epigrámma)
• Spanish: epigrama (es) m
• Swedish: epigram (sv) n

Further reading

• epigram on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Epigram in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• primage

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɛpɪɡram]
• Hyphenation: epi‧gram

Noun

epigram m inan

1. epigram

Declension

Declension of epigram (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	epigram	epigramy
genitive	epigramu	epigramů
dative	epigramu	epigramům
accusative	epigram	epigramy
vocative	epigrame	epigramy
locative	epigramu	epigramech
instrumental	epigramem	epigramy

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French épigramme or Latin epigramma, from Ancient Greek ἐπίγραμμα (epígramma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌeː.piˈɣrɑm/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: epi‧gram
• Rhymes: -ɑm

Noun

epigram n (plural epigrammen, diminutive epigrammetje n)

1. epigram (short, pithy poem)

   Synonym: puntdicht

Derived terms

• epigrammatisch
• epigrammatist

Polish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin epigramma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛˈpiɡ.ram/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iɡram
• Syllabification: e‧pig‧ram

Noun

epigram m inan

1. (poetry) epigram (short, witty or pithy poem)

   Synonym: epigramat

2. (historical) epigram (inscription in stone)

   Synonym: epigramat

Declension

Declension of epigram

	singular	plural
nominative	epigram	epigramy
genitive	epigramu	epigramów
dative	epigramowi	epigramom
accusative	epigram	epigramy
instrumental	epigramem	epigramami
locative	epigramie	epigramach
vocative	epigramie	epigramy

Further reading

• epigram in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• epigram in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /epǐɡram/
• Hyphenation: e‧pi‧gram

Noun

epìgram m (Cyrillic spelling епѝграм)

1. epigram

Declension

Declension of epigram

	singular	plural
nominative	epigram	epigrami
genitive	epigrama	epigrama
dative	epigramu	epigramima
accusative	epigram	epigrame
vocative	epigrame	epigrami
locative	epigramu	epigramima
instrumental	epigramom	epigramima