1910–1911
Britannica 11th
Encyclopaedia Britannica · 11th edition
EPITAPH (Gr. fcnrdifru*, sc. X&yot, from fcri, upon, and ratfaf, a tomb), strictly, an inscription upon a tomb, though by a natural extension of usage the name is applied to anything written ostensibly for that purpose whether actually inscribed upon a tomb or not. When the word was introduced into English in the 1 41 h century it took the form epitaphy, as well as epilaphe, which latter word is used both by Cower and Lydgate. Many of the best-known epitaphs, both ancient and modern, are merely literary memorials, …
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- Vol. 9, pp. 703-705