epiphonema

An epiphonema is an exclamatory or general statement, especially one that briefly summarizes what has just been said.

Epiphonemas can be used to add emphasis or drama to the end of a discussion or argument by restating what was said but in a shorter, more succinct way. An epiphonema can be thought of as somewhat like “the moral of the story.”

Example: After telling us about all of the old friends he ran into over vacation, John concluded his story with the epiphonema, “Oh, what a small world we live in!”

Epiphonema comes from the Greek epiphṓnēma, from the roots epi- (a prefix that can mean “after”) and phṓnēma (meaning “sound”). Epiphonema was first recorded in the 1570s.

Epiphonema is most often used in the context of rhetoric (the study of how to use language effectively). So, while you may not hear the term epiphonema used in everyday conversation, epiphonemas (or epiphonemae) themselves are used all the time, especially when someone is really trying to make a point. An epiphonema is a lot like a hashtag that wraps up what has just been said.

What is the plural form of epiphonema?

• epiphonemas
• epiphonemae

(Note: Words from Greek and Latin that end in -a may continue to use the Latin plural ending -ae, as in vertebrae. Sometimes these borrowed words have also adopted the English language rule of adding -s to make a plural form. Both of these plural forms are correct, but avoid mixing them. Pick one plural form and use it consistently.)

What are some words that share a root or word element with epiphonema?

• phoneme
• polyphony
• epicenter
• epitome

What are some words that often get used in discussing epiphonema?

• exclamation
• summary
• rhetoric

What are some words epiphonema may be commonly confused with?

• epiphany
• epiphenomenon

There are certain contexts in which using epiphonemas might be more common. A philosopher might use an epiphonema to briefly summarize a complicated position. Likewise, a lawyer might use an epiphonema to emphasize their closing argument.

He paused his closing argument. The jury was mesmerized. All he had to do was sell the #epiphonema, and it would be over, they’d have won the case. But then his client shattered the silence with hysterical shrieks of laughter. Why did he think he could defend the Joker? #dvprompt pic.twitter.com/2C5DfXfhvp

— Pam Knowlton – fueled by caffeine ☕️ & daydreams (@geekmom47) August 18, 2018

IV. He concludes the Psalm with an epiphonema, in which he persuades good men to consider the former promises

— douglas h. gilkeson (@douglasHgilkeso) September 26, 2010

Being a writer means waking up at 5.23 thinking – are all good hashtags examples of modern day epiphonema? #BackToSleepBrainBack

— Keisha Thompson (@Keke_Thom) June 19, 2019

 

 

Epiphonema was featured as the Word of the Day!

You’ve just told a story about shopping for a car. Which of the following statements could be used as an epiphonema to conclude your story?

A. The end.
B. And then I found five bucks.
C. I test drove 20 cars and of course I ended up buying the first one I looked at!
D. Once upon a time.