What is "epitaph"

Epitaph \Ep"i*taph\, n. [F. ['e]pitaphe, L. epitaphium a funeral oration, fr. Gr. ?, orig. an adj., over or at a tomb; 'epi` upon + ? tomb. Cf. Cenotaph.]

1. An inscription on, or at, a tomb, or a grave, in memory or commendation of the one buried there; a sepulchral inscription.

   Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb.
   --Shak.

2. A brief writing formed as if to be inscribed on a monument, as that concerning Alexander: ``Sufficit huic tumulus, cui non sufficeret orbis.''

Epitaph \Ep"i*taph\, v. t. To commemorate by an epitaph. [R.]

Let me be epitaphed the inventor of English hexameters.
--G. Harvey.

Epitaph \Ep"i*taph\, v. i. To write or speak after the manner of an epitaph. [R.]

The common in their speeches epitaph upon him . . . ``He lived as a wolf and died as a dog.''
--Bp. Hall.

"inscription on a tomb or monument," mid-14c., from Old French epitaphe (12c.) and directly from Medieval Latin epitaphium "funeral oration, eulogy," from Greek epitaphion "a funeral oration," noun use of neuter of epitaphios (logos) "(words) spoken on the occasion of a funeral," from epi "at, over" (see epi-) + taphos "tomb, funeral rites," from PIE root *dhembh- "to bury." Related: Epitaphial. Among the Old English equivalents was byrgelsleoð.

n. 1 An inscription on a gravestone in memory of the deceased. 2 A poem or other short text written in memory of a deceased person. vb. 1 (context intransitive English) To write or speak after the manner of an epitaph. 2 (context transitive English) To commemorate by an epitaph.

1. n. an inscription on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried there

2. a summary statement of commemoration for a dead person

An epitaph (from Greek epitaphios "a funeral oration" from ἐπί epi "at, over" and τάφος taphos "tomb") is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves before their death, while others are chosen by those responsible for the burial. An epitaph may be written in prose or in poem verse; poets have been known to compose their own epitaphs prior to their death, as did William Shakespeare.

Most epitaphs are brief records of the family, and perhaps the career, of the deceased, often with a common expression of love or respect—for example, "beloved father of ..."—but others are more ambitious. From the Renaissance to the 19th century in Western culture, epitaphs for notable people became increasingly lengthy and pompous descriptions of their family origins, career, virtues and immediate family, often in Latin. Notably, the Laudatio Turiae, the longest known Ancient Roman epitaph, exceeds almost all of these at 180 lines; it celebrates the virtues of an honored wife, probably of a consul.

Some are quotes from holy texts, or aphorisms. One approach of many epitaphs is to 'speak' to the reader and warn them about their own mortality. A wry trick of others is to request the reader to get off their resting place, inasmuch as the reader would have to be standing on the ground above the coffin to read the inscription. Some record achievements (e.g., past politicians note the years of their terms of office). Nearly all (excepting those where this is impossible by definition, such as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) note name, year or date of birth, and date of death. Many list family members and the relationship of the deceased to them (for example, "Father / Mother / Son / Daughter of").

Epitaph is a live 4-CD set of concert performances and radio sessions by the band King Crimson, released in 1997. Volumes 1 and 2 (Discs 1 and 2) were available in retail shops, and the set included a flyer with instructions on how to obtain Volumes 3 and 4 (Discs 3 and 4) via mail-order. In 2006, volumes 3 and 4 were released independently as a 2-disc set via DGM.

Epitaph is the second and final studio album by German death metal band Necrophagist released by Relapse Records on August 3, 2004. Unlike on Onset of Putrefaction, guitarist and vocalist Muhammed Suiçmez recorded the album alongside a full band instead of just himself. Guitarist Christian Münzner, who later departed the band and joined Obscura, wrote both half the leads as well as several basslines on the album

An epitaph is an inscription honoring a deceased person, usually on a tombstone or plaque.

Epitaph may also refer to:

Epitaph is an album by Vancouver industrial band Front Line Assembly, released in 2001.

Epitaph is a 2007 South Korean film directed by brothers Jung Sik and Jung Bum-shik. The film is a horror film set primarily in 1942, while South Korea was under the colonial rule of Japan. It is framed by scenes set in 1979.

Epitaph was a New Zealand television show that aired on TV1 during evenings in 2001.

Epitaph is a composition by jazz musician Charles Mingus. It is 4,235 measures long, takes more than two hours to perform, and was only completely discovered during the cataloguing process after his death. With the help of a grant from the Ford Foundation, the score and instrumental parts were copied, and the work itself was premiered by a 30-piece orchestra, conducted by Gunther Schuller and produced by Mingus's widow, Sue, at Alice Tully Hall on June 3, 1989, 10 years after his death, and issued as a live album. It was performed again at several concerts in 2007.

Convinced that it would never be performed in his lifetime, Mingus called his work Epitaph declaring that it was written "for my tombstone."

"Epitaph" is the third track on British progressive rock band King Crimson's 1969 album In the Court of the Crimson King. It was written by Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Greg Lake, and Michael Giles with lyrics written by Peter Sinfield.

The song is noted for its heavy use of the Mellotron, and as with the first track, " 21st Century Schizoid Man", the song's lyrics have a distinctly dystopian feel to them.

The song's title was used as the name for a live album of recordings done by the original King Crimson, Epitaph.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer would later incorporate an excerpt from this song after the "Battlefield" portion of the live version of their song " Tarkus", from the Tarkus album, as documented in the live album Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends... Ladies and Gentlemen.

"Stripes" from Cage's album Hell's Winter samples a middle part of the song throughout its duration.

Epitaph Records also took its name from the song.

Epitaph is a German rock band, formed in Dortmund in 1969. Playing initially what Allmusic described as "post- psych progressive rock, spiced with occasional jazz accents and widespread twin-guitar harmonies," in 1973 they started shifting towards more straightforward hard rock (later heavy metal) stylings and, having released six studio albums, disbanded in 1982. In 2000 Epitaph reunited and several new releases followed, including two studio albums (Remember the Daze, 2005, and Dancing With Ghosts, 2009).