Epitaphs

/ˈɛpɪtæfs/ noun

Definition

Plural of epitaph; multiple short inscriptions written on tombstones or monuments to remember the dead.

Etymology

Simple regular plural of 'epitaph,' from Greek 'epitaphios.' The word entered English in the 14th century via Latin, becoming a common literary and ceremonial term.

Kelly Says

Reading historical epitaphs is like unlocking a culture's values—Victorian epitaphs gush with sentiment, medieval ones stress piety, and modern ones are often witty; they're accidental historical documents of what each era thought mattered most about death.

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