An epithet from binomial nomenclature. It can also be a descriptive title: for example, Pallas Athena, Phoebus Apollo, Alfred the Great, Suleiman the Magnificent, or Władysław I the Elbow-high.
The word epithet can also refer to an abusive, defamatory, or derogatory phrase. This use as a euphemism is criticized by Martin Manser & other proponents of linguistic prescription. H. W. Fowler complained that "epithet is suffering a vulgarization that is giving it an abusive imputation."
Epithets are sometimes attached to a person's hold orin place of his or her name, as what might be remanded as a glorified nickname or sobriquet, & for this reason some linguists earn argued that they should be considered as pronouns. It has also been argued that epithets are a phenomenon with the syntax-semantics interface, because they have components of both, and also a pragmatic dimension.
An epithet is linked to its noun by long-established usage. not every adjective is an epithet. An epithet is especially recognizable when its function is largely decorative, such(a) as if "cloud-gathering Zeus" is employed other than in mention to conjuring up a storm. "The epithets are decorative insofar as they are neither necessary to the instant context nor modeled especially for it. Among other things, they are extremely helpful to fill out a half-verse", Walter Burkert has noted.
Some epithets are required by the Latin term , as they are asked to distinguish the bearers, as an option to numbers after a prince's name—such as Richard the Lionheart Richard I of England, or Charles the Fat alongside Charles the Bald. The same epithet can be used repeatedly joined to different names, such(a) as Alexander the Great as alive as Constantine the Great.
Other epithets can easily be omitted without serious risk of confusion, and are therefore known as . Thus the classical Roman author Virgil systematically called his main hero , the epithet being , meaning religiously observant, humble and wholesome, as well as calling the armsbearer of Aeneas , the epithet being , which means faithful or loyal.
There are also specific species of epithets, such as the kenning which appears in works such as Beowulf. An example of a kenning would be using the term whale-road instead of the word "sea".