Eulogists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who deliver commemorative speeches or tributes in honor of the deceased
2. Those who write or present laudatory remarks about someone's life and achievements following their death
3. People skilled in providing heartfelt tributes that celebrate the contributions and memories of the departed

Etymology: "Eulogist" is simply "eulogy" with the agent suffix "-ist" added, meaning one who performs the act named by the root. "Eulogy" comes from Ancient Greek "eulogia," formed from "eu," meaning "well," and "logos," meaning "speech" or "word," so a eulogy was literally "good speech" or praise. The suffix has a longer journey than the root. The Greek ending "-istēs" denoted a person practicing a craft or doctrine, and it passed through Latin "-ista" and Old French "-iste" before arriving in Middle English as "-ist." English speakers then attached it freely to existing nouns, which is how "eulogist" came to name someone who speaks in praise of the dead. The plural "eulogists" simply adds the regular "-s" ending.

Synonyms: obituarists, commemorators