Paean

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A joyous song or expression of praise, typically celebrating a notable achievement or person
2. An enthusiastic tribute often delivered through music or poetry
3. A hymn of thanksgiving or reverence, celebrating victories or the qualities of an individual or group

Etymology: Paean began as the name of a god. In Homer, Paian (or Paeon) is the physician of the gods, and by classical times the name had become an epithet of Apollo, god of healing and prophecy. The cry "Iō Paiān," roughly "O Paean!", was sung to him, and the hymn it opened was called a paean. These were thanksgiving or victory songs, sung to Apollo or occasionally to another deity. The word reached English through Latin "paeān," which carried the same sense of a hymn to Apollo, and it reached French and Italian in similar forms. Its ultimate origin is unclear. Scholars have proposed links to Greek verbs meaning "to strike" and "to stop," and some think it may be a pre-Greek word altogether. The sense of praise and triumph is what survives in English. A paean now is any joyful song or tribute, often celebrating an achievement or a person, though the healing god who gave it its first meaning has long since faded from view.

Synonyms: hymn, ode, celebration, tribute, salute

Antonyms: dirge, lament, eulogy