Epithalamium
/ˌɛpɪˈθæl.ə.mi.əm/noun
A song or poem written in honor of a marriage.
Did you know?In ancient Greece, an epithalamium was a public wedding song performed outside the bridal chamber, tying language, ritual, and fertility into one sacred moment.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tel-
“to lift, support, or bear up”
Ancient Greek
Greek
θάλαμος (thálamos)
“inner chamber, bridal chamber, or room”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐπί (epí) + θάλαμος (thálamos)
“upon the bridal chamber”
Late Latin
Latin
epithalamium
“a wedding song or marriage poem”
16th Century
English
epithalamion / epithalamium
“a poem or song composed for a wedding”
Modern English
English
epithalamium
“a wedding poem or song”
Explore more surprising origins