Epicedia

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collection of funeral oration speeches or writings that honor and commemorate the deceased; a formal expression of grief and tribute following a death; an assemblage of elegiac reflections intended for memorial purposes
2. A compilation of solemn speeches or texts delivered at funerals to praise and remember those who have passed; a solemn discourse expressing sorrow and tribute for the dead; a set of lamenting addresses or writings used in mourning rituals
3. A body of eulogistic orations or compositions recited at funerals to pay homage to the departed; ceremonial declarations of sorrow and respect following death; organized memorial tributes highlighting the life and virtues of someone deceased

Etymology: "Epicedia" is the plural of "epicede," and both come from ancient Greek. The Greeks used "epikēdeios" to describe a lament sung over the dead, and its neuter form "epikēdeion" was a noun for such a song. The first part, "epi," means "upon," and the second, "kēdos," means "care" or "concern," so the word literally points to something set over the grave out of care for the dead. The Latin "epicēdīon" carried the term into scholarly use, and English later borrowed it directly, giving "epicede." Because the word also passed into English through Latin as "epicedium," the two forms are doublets: separate borrowings of the same Greek word. "Epicede" is the form that follows the Greek more closely, and the plural "epicedia" keeps the Latin-style ending, which is why the word appears in English prose as the name for funeral praise speeches.

Synonyms: elegies, threnodies, dirges, laments, funeral poems