stock epithet
- noun
- /stɑk ˈɛpɪˌtɛt/
- Literature
:
epíteto recurrente
- In Homeric poetry, the phrase 'rosy-fingered Dawn' is a classic example of a stock epithet.
Examples
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The poet often used a stock epithet to describe heroes, such as 'swift-footed Achilles.'
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Many authors utilize stock epithets to enhance their writing.
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Ancient storytellers relied on the stock epithet to maintain the rhythm and memory of their tales.
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Homer frequently uses the stock epithet 'swift-footed Achilles'.
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In Homeric poetry, the phrase 'rosy-fingered Dawn' is a classic example of a stock epithet.
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Ancient storytellers relied on the stock epithet to maintain the rhythm and memory of their tales.
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The poet often used a stock epithet to describe heroes, such as 'swift-footed Achilles.'
Synonyms
7
4.9
A word or short phrase that gives details about something
4
7.9
A word or phrase that describes a quality
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound meaning 'a conventional or formulaic descriptive label' is directly derivable from combining 'stock' (conventional, formulaic) with 'epithet' (descriptive label). Although it's a literary/technical term, the semantic composition is regular and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Stock epithet may come from old storytellers who kept a stock, a store of ready phrases, and used a short descriptive tag called an epithet, like 'rosy-fingered Dawn'. These ready labels helped singers keep the song's beat and helped the audience remember people and places, so today stock epithet means a repeated descriptive phrase for a person or thing.