Praise, accolades, compliment, eulogium, or panegyric, I have heard of them all. However, I came across encomium today, which I hadn't heard of. It seems to be a bit different from panegyric and eulogium, in that it can be used for inanimate objects whereas the panegyric and eulogium can't. How does it differ (or does it?) from praise, though?

The Greek root "comos" means "revel." So if an en-comos is what we offer at a revel, it has the feel of a "toast."

And of course the good guest, who may wish to be a repeat guest, is likely to praise rather than pan...

RJA

It's been years since I read it, but there's Erasmus' Encomium Moriae (The Praise of Folly). Addressed to his friend St Sir Thomas More, punning on the latter's surname. Available online in
Latin or English.

I've never been able to work out what the verb for that should be: encomize? encomiaze? Why don't we seem to have any -aze verbs in English when the Greek calls for it?

verb form of encomium:

eulogize, extol

but seriously, encomiate and encomionize are both marked "Obs. rare" in OED2.

A person who eulogizes is an encomiast.

And, of course there has been debate about the pleural of the word, too. It has been used as "encomia," though more commonly as "encomiums." Glad you have access to OED2, Tsuwm, because I checked all the online dictionaries and found no verb form listed at all.

How Little Red Riding Hood Came To Be Eaten
by Guy Wetmore Carryl

Most worthy of praise
Were the virtuous ways
Of Little Red Riding Hood's Ma,
And no one was ever
More cautious and clever
Than Little Red Riding Hood's Pa.
They never misled,
For they meant what they said,
And would frequently say what they meant,
And the way she should go
They were careful to show,
And the way that they showed her, she went.
For obedience she was effusively thanked,
And for anything else she was carefully spanked.

It thus isn't strange
That Red Riding Hood's range
Of virtues so steadily grew,
That soon she won prizes
Of different sizes,
And golden encomiums, too!
As a general rule
She was head of her school,
And at six was so notably smart
That they gave her a cheque
For reciting "The Wreck
of the Hesperus," wholly by heart!
And you all will applaud her the more, I am sure,
When I add that this money she gave to the poor.

(etc.)

[This message was edited by Hic et ubique on Wed Feb 11th, 2004 at 23:41.]

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Originally posted by jheem: there's Erasmus' Encomium Moriae (The Praise of Folly)

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I know no Latin (and less Greek) but the phrase brought to mind memento mori: a reminder of death or mortality. Taking a wild long-shot here: is there an etymological connection between moriae = folly and mori = death?

quote:

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
Encomium seems to be a bit different from panegyric and eulogium, in that it can be used for inanimate objects whereas the panegyric and eulogium can't. How does it differ (or does it?) from praise, though?

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This from Webster's on-line:

"synonyms:
ENCOMIUM, EULOGY, PANEGYRIC, TRIBUTE, CITATION mean a formal expression of praise.

• ENCOMIUM implies enthusiasm and warmth in praising a person or a thing.
  
• EULOGY applies to a prepared speech or writing extolling the virtues and services of a person.
  
• PANEGYRIC suggests an elaborate often poetic compliment.
  
• TRIBUTE implies deeply felt praise conveyed either through words or through a significant act.
  
• CITATION applies to the formal praise accompanying the mention of a person in a military dispatch or in awarding an honorary degree."

Eulogium was new to me. It means a formal eulogy.

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Question: I've only heard eulogy used to mean a praise for the dead. Have others heard it used more broadly?

quote:

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Taking a wild long-shot here: is there an etymological connection between moriae = folly and mori = death?

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None that I know of. The -o- in Latin morus 'foolish' and the Greek moros is long. The one in morior 'to die' is short. There is also Latin morus 'foolish', morio (morionis) 'fool'.

The root of Latin morior 'to die' is the same as Greek brotos, mortos, 'mortal'. Other mor words in Latin: mora 'delay, pause', morum 'blackberry, mulberry', morus 'mulberry tree', mos (moris) 'caprice, mood, nature'.

quote:

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I've only heard eulogy used to mean a praise for the dead. Have others heard it used more broadly?

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I have once seen it used to describe a speech on someone's retirement from work. I'd suggest that the usage is similar, though -- one at the end of someone's life, the other at the end of their working life.

I wonder if that means the Best Man's speech at a wedding could also be described as a eulogy?

I have however seen eulogise used quite often almost as an intensive version of praise, meaning "to praise fulsomely".