epic
ˈɛpɪk
adjective
Origin
Ancient Greek
epikos — of or relating to an epos (word, speech, or poem)
Overview
Meaning Now
- Relating to or characteristic of an epic; grand or heroic in scope.
- Particularly impressive or remarkable.
Literal older meaning
consisting of or relating to a speech or poem.
Language path
Ancient Greek → Latin → English
Earliest form
epic
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The term originates from the Greek 'epos', which referred to spoken stories or poetry. As oral traditions were formalized, 'epos' became associated with the long, narrative poems depicting heroic deeds, eventually defining the genre of epic poetry.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
epos
“a word, speech, or utterance”
- Ancient Greek
epikos
“pertaining to epic poetry”
- Latin
epicus
“epic”
- English
epic
“heroic narrative or grand scale”
entered via French or directly from Latin
Connections
Word parts
ep-
root
word or speech
-ic
suffix
relating to
Related across languages
Latin
epicus
epic
French
épique
epic
Explore next
Related to epic
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.