What is the difference between an epithet and an epitaph?
An epithet, from Greek epithetos “placed upon, attributed,” is an adjective or other descriptive word or phrase that characterizes the person or object it is attributed to. As George Eliot wrote in “Romola,” “Hollow, empty is the epithet justly bestowed on Fame.” An epitaph, from Greek epi “on” + taphos “tomb,” is an inscription on a tomb or gravestone.
