An epithet is a descriptive term or phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned. It operates as a linguistic label that attaches to a name or identity — whether as a title (e.g. 'Alexander the Great'), a descriptive substitute (e.g. 'the Iron Lady'), or an appellation embedded in speech (e.g. 'Achilles the rage-filled'). Parameters: the epithet must be conventionally used by a speech community, not merely invented by a single speaker; it modifies or supplements an existing designation rather than replacing it entirely. Persists through language, teaching, and repeated utterance. [formal: epitheton | substrate: mind | horizon: a life | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
epithet
An epithet is a descriptive term or phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned. It operates as a linguistic label that attaches to a name or identity — whether as a title (e.g. 'Alexander the Great'), a des…
Definition
Why it is in scope
An epithet is a human-made naming convention — a descriptive term or phrase attached to a proper name to highlight a characteristic quality. It persists through literary tradition, oral formulaic composition, and linguistic usage (e.g., 'Alexander the Great', 'Homer'). The epithet is a structured practice of character-attaching naming, sustained by cultural memory and textual transmission.
Names and aliases
- epitheten · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmr784qq1000ks126wltnuaxhINSTANCE_OF →
An epithet is a specific kind of linguistic construct — a descriptive word or phrase used in language. Specific to general INSTANCE_OF.
- cmrcnts8s00y913vzeq2crmxlINSTANCE_OF →
An epithet is a specific kind of descriptive name or title — a characteristic phrase attached to a person or thing (e.g. 'Alexander the Great'). INSTANCE_OF direction is correct (specific→general, Law 9).
Relations to this entry
No accepted relations in this direction.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 19, 2026, 10:33 PM UTC
- Content hash
- 2f05f650cffcc85f351e2069fe40353bc25d4ed166a0e71f79ccb3ee90a495ef