*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of epic

From Middle French épique, from Latin epicus, from Ancient Greek ἐπικός (epikós), from ἔπος (épos, “word, story”).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

An extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a deity, demigod (heroic epic), other legend or traditional hero. · A series of events considered appropriate to an epic; any work of literature, film, etc. having heroic deeds and adventures as its subject matter. · A large or extended user story.

adj

Of or relating to an epic. · Momentously heroic; grand in scale or character. · Extending beyond the usual or ordinary.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle French épique, from Latin epicus, from Ancient Greek ἐπικός (epikós), from ἔπος (épos, “word, story”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*wekʷ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "épique"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French épique"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "epicus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin epicus"
    },
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "ἐπικός"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek ἐπικός (epikós)"
    }
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    ],
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      "epicus#Latin"
    ],
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      "ἐπικός#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
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      "ἔπος",
      "ἔπος#Ancient_Greek"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
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        "An extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a deity, demigod (heroic epic), other legend or traditional hero.",
        "A series of events considered appropriate to an epic; any work of literature, film, etc. having heroic deeds and adventures as its subject matter.",
        "A large or extended user story."
      ],
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    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Of or relating to an epic.",
        "Momentously heroic; grand in scale or character.",
        "Extending beyond the usual or ordinary."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
adj

That is an epimorphism.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From epi-, from Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí, “on top of”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "ἐπί",
        "4": "",
        "5": "on top of"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí, “on top of”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "epi-",
      "epi-#English"
    ],
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      "ἐπί",
      "ἐπί#Ancient_Greek"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "That is an epimorphism."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for epic →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZXBpYw