Epigram
/ˈɛp.ɪ.ɡræm/noun
A short, witty, pointed statement or poem.
Did you know?Epigram comes from Greek epigramma, originally meaning an inscription written on a monument, altar, or tomb—so one of literature’s sharpest forms began as words carved for the dead.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐπίγραμμα (epígramma)
“An inscription written on something, especially a tomb, monument, or dedication.”
Late Latin
Latin
epigramma
“An inscription; later, a brief pointed poem or saying.”
Old French
Old French
epigramme
“A short inscription or concise witty verse.”
14th Century
English
epigram
“A brief inscription; later, a terse, witty poem or saying.”
Modern English
English
epigram
“A concise, clever, often paradoxical statement or poem.”