Plural of 'Euphues,' referring to the protagonists of John Lyly's 16th-century novels or people who adopt the euphuistic literary style.
From 'Euphues,' the main character in John Lyly's 1578 novel 'Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit,' whose name became associated with an ornate writing style.
John Lyly's character Euphues became so famous that his name literally became a literary movement—Euphuism dominated English writing for decades, proving that one fictional character can reshape an entire language!
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