Elegist
/ˈɛl.ɪ.dʒɪst/noun
A person who writes or speaks elegies, especially poems of mourning.
Did you know?The word comes through Latin from the Greek elegos, a term tied to mourning song, so its history is literally rooted in the language of lament.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
elegos
“a lament or song of mourning”
Classical Latin
Latin
elegia
“an elegy, especially a poem of lament”
Old French
French
elegie
“a poem of mourning or lamentation”
Late Middle English
English
elegie
“a mournful poem”
16th Century
English
elegist
“one who writes elegies or laments”
Modern English
English
elegist
“a writer of elegies”