English
epilogue
Epilogue comes from Latin epilogus ‘conclusion, peroration, epilogue’, from Ancient Greek ἐπιλέγω ‘to say in addition’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to collect, gather’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-‘to collect, gather’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*légō‘to gather’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέγω‘to choose, to say’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐπιλέγωepilégō‘to say in addition’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐπίλογοςepílogos‘a conclusion, peroration of a speech, epilogue of a play’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEepilogus‘conclusion, peroration, epilogue’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600epilogue
- Englishtodayepilogue
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-‘to collect, gather’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*légō‘to gather’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέγω‘to choose, to say’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐπιλέγωepilégō‘to say in addition’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐπίλογοςepílogos‘a conclusion, peroration of a speech, epilogue of a play’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEepilogus‘conclusion, peroration, epilogue’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600epilogue
- Englishtodayepilogue
Formed from epi- + -logue
The story
Eclipsed Middle English lenvoie (‘epilogue’) borrowed ultimately from Old French.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to collect, gather’
election, collection, lesson, select, elite, collect, eligible, elect, elegant, logic, legion, apology, negligence, coil, sociology, terminology, negligible, analogy, negligent, physiology, trilogy, leach, pathology, logos, diligent, cull, pathologist, archaeologist, logistic, monologue, eulogy, etymology, legation, prologue, entomology, homologous, lignite, lignin, epistemology, etiology, 163 more
through Proto-Hellenic *légō ‘to gather’
through Ancient Greek λέγω ‘to choose, to say’
technology, catalogue, lexicon, astrology, lexical, dialectic, cosmology, gynecologist, alexia, lexis, dialogic, 20 more
Today it means
noun A short speech, spoken directly at the audience at the end of a play
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- / epilogue