Cenotaphic
/ˌsiː.nəˈtæf.ɪk/noun
Relating to a cenotaph, a monument honoring a dead person whose body is buried elsewhere or missing.
Did you know?The word preserves an ancient Greek funerary concept: a tomb could symbolically house the memory of the dead even when no remains were present.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ken-
“To be empty or lacking”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kenos
“Empty, void, or lacking”
Ancient Greek
Greek
taphos
“Tomb, burial, or grave”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kenotaphion
“An empty tomb or monument for someone buried elsewhere”
Late Greek / Latin
Greek/Latin
cenotaphium
“A memorial tomb without the body of the deceased”
17th Century
English
cenotaph
“A monument commemorating a dead person whose body is elsewhere”
Modern English
English
cenotaphic
“Relating to a cenotaph or symbolic empty tomb”
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