Epithet

The epithet [ epi tetɔn ː ] ( gr ἐπίθετον - assigned by ἐπίθετος epithetos, ',' added '- the Added ', the Initiate later '; plural: epithets ) is generally a linguistic attribute, an additional or epithet.

Rhetoric and Stylistics

With epithet refers to the rhetoric or stylistics adding a non-essential in the sentence attribute, for example, the green meadow. " The epithet ( semantically redundant epithet with purely minute decorative function, eg, blind despotism ') As a repeating figure be considered, since the meaning of the word does not expand here, but is merely accentuated. " An epithet can also be an individualization, characterization or evaluation express, for example, Ivan the Terrible or land of a thousand lakes.

A special epithet, the epithet ornans, the ( expendable, but ) decorative, ornamental (Latin ornare, adorn ') additive. An example of this is the green meadow. Furthermore, this term was chosen by the classical philologists to designate since Homer in the epic or episierenden language numerously occurring decorative attributes when gods and heroes names, but also in ordinary objects. Examples: The kuhäugige Hera, the rosy-fingered Eos, the wily Odysseus, the wool-wearing sheep. " The epic epithets which denote independent of the particular situation an immutable characteristic especially of persons" are also called epithet constans (, fixed epithet '), such as pius Aeneas ( Virgil, Aeneid 1.305 ).

Eric A. Havelock, and others refer to this as a typical feature of mnemonics präliteraler cultures.

The epithet particularly ancient rulers are referred to as epithets. Examples are next to " the Great" ( megas or magnus ) as " the benefactor " ( euergetes ), " the Städtezertrümmerer " ( Poliorketes ), " the Invincible " ( invictus ) or " the Pious " ( pius ).

Gerhart Hauptmann can say in his piece before sunrise Hoffmann: "I will therefore say that I here your appearance - spoke mildly - for fabulous brazenly think ," to which Loth replied: "Maybe you tell me what you entitled me with the like epithets ... "

Biology

In botany, the term epithet refers in particular to the introduced by Carolus Linnaeus in the second part of the scientific name of a species of living beings (see nomenclature in biology ). The scientific name consists of a name for the genus and a species-specific epithet. For example, referred to in the European beech (Fagus sylvatica) the name part Fagus the true genus, sylvatica is the epithet of Art

In zoology, the term was not included in the relevant terms of the nomenclature of the German, nor English Nomenclature code, the term species name was used instead. This term is, however, (unlike in English ICZN Code ) ambiguous ( homonymous ), he refers to both the total composed of genus and species names of animal species ( species name or name of a species, eg Homo sapiens) and the second part of such name (specific name, in this example sapiens). Terms such as epithetum specificum or epithet specificum are occasionally still used informally in the German zoological literature.

Bibliography: Rhetoric and Stylistics

• Heinrich Lausberg: Handbook of literary rhetoric. A foundation of the literature. Hueber, Munich 1960 ( ³ 1990), Vol 1, § § 676-685.
• Josef Martin: Ancient rhetoric. Technique and method ( HDAW II.3). C. H. Beck, Munich 1974, p 264, 307f.
• Paolo Vivante: The Epithets in Homer. A Study in Poetic Values. Harvard UP, New Haven / London 1982.
• Gert Ueding / Bernd Steinbrink: Outline of rhetoric. History · Technology · method. Metzler, Stuttgart ² 1986, p 270
• Lisa Gondo: epithet. In: Gert Ueding ( ed.) Historical Dictionary of rhetoric. WBG, Darmstadt 1992-2012, Vol 2 (1994 ), 1314-1316 Sp.

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