Eulogia

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A formal expression of praise or commendation, particularly in a speech honoring someone
2. a tribute or encomium characterized by articulate and often elevated language
3. a term applied to the context of celebrating virtue or accomplishments, especially in a ceremonial setting

Etymology: Ancient Greek "eulogia" meant "good speaking" or "praise," built from "eu" ("well") and "logos" ("word, speech"). The Greek noun was used in the New Testament and early Christian writing for a blessing or a consecrated gift, and this religious sense is the one that carried into Latin. In Medieval Latin, "eulogia" came to mean something more concrete: bread blessed in church and distributed to the congregation, or a small token sent from a shrine as a blessing. The English word "eulogy" comes from a related Medieval Latin form, "eulogium," which was used for a formal speech or panegyric. The English "eulogia" is a learned borrowing from Latin, so it preserves the older Greek and Latin shape of the word, and it can still be used in its original sense of a blessed gift.