epistle

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See also: Epistle

English[edit]

WOTD – 25 January 2024

Etymology[edit]

PIE word
*h₁epi

The noun is derived from Middle English epistel, epistole, pistel (“letter; literary work in letter form; written legend or story; spoken communication; (Christianity) one of the letters by an apostle in the New Testament; extract from such a letter read as part of the Mass”) [and other forms],[1] and then partly:[2]

The verb is derived from the noun.[3]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

epistle (plural epistles)

  1. A literary composition in the form of a letter or series of letters, especially one in verse.
  2. (chiefly literary or humorous) A letter, especially one which is formal or issued publicly.
    • a. 1536 (date written), Thomas More, “The Life of John Picus Erle of Myrandula, […]. Chapter IIII.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published April 1557, →OCLC, book III, page 15, column 1:
      After that John Frauncis [i.e., Giovanni Francesco Pico della Mirandola], the neuiew of Picꝰ [Picus], had (as it appeareth in the firſt epiſtle of Picus to him) begon a chaunge in his liuyng: […]
    • a. 1569 (date written), Roger Ascham, “The First Booke for the Youth [Teachyng the Brynging vp of Youth]”, in Margaret Ascham, editor, The Scholemaster: Or Plaine and Perfite Way of Teaching Children, to Vnderstand, Write, and Speake, the Latin Tong, […], London: […] John Daye, […], published 1570, →OCLC, folio 25, verso:
      Plato alſo, that diuine Philoſopher, hath many Godly medicines agaynſt the poyſon of vayne pleaſure, in many places, but ſpecially in his Epistles to Dioniſius the tyrant of Sicilie: […]
    • c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 261, column 2:
      I vvill drop in his vvay ſome obſcure Epiſtles of loue, vvherein by the colour of his beard, the ſhape of his legge, the manner of his gate, the expreſſure of his eye, forehead, and complection, he ſhall finde himſelfe moſt feelingly perſonated.
    • 1645 May 15 (Gregorian calendar), James Howell, “LXIII. To the Honourable Master Car. Ra.”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume II, London: […] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, […], published 1655, →OCLC, section VI, page 373:
      [I]n publiſhing theſe Epiſtles at this Time, you pleaſe to ſay, That I have done like Hezekiah, vvhen he ſhevved his Treaſures to the Babylonians, that I have diſcovered my Riches to Thieves, vvho vvill bind me faſt and ſhare my Goods. To this I anſvver, that if thoſe innocent Letters (for I knovv none of them but is ſuch) fall among ſuch Thieves, they vvill have no great prize to carry avvay, it vvill be but petty larceny: […]
    • 1781, Edward Gibbon, “Constantius Sole Emperor.— […]”, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume II, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, footnote 12, page 129, column 1:
      The moſt authentic account of the education and adventures of Julian, is contained in the epiſtle or manifeſto vvhich he himſelf addreſſed to the ſenate and people of Athens.
    • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXVIII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 232:
      At this moment his page entered with a packet. "Lights!" said Evelyn, carelessly—for, as our readers will have already divined, he was the melancholy soliloquist—"I may as well read the Cardinal's epistle at once;—but I am no tool for his purpose.
    • 1839, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], Richelieu; or, The Conspiracy: […], London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 26, line 24:
      Wide flew the doors, and lo, / Messire de Beringhen, and this epistle!
    • 1914 September – 1915 May, Arthur Conan Doyle, “Epilogue”, in The Valley of Fear: A Sherlock Holmes Novel, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, published 27 February 1915, →OCLC, part II (The Scowrers), page 317:
      Then one morning there came an enigmatic note slipped into our letterbox. "Dear me, Mr. Holmes. Dear me!" said this singular epistle. There was neither superscription nor signature. I laughed at the quaint message; but Holmes showed unwonted seriousness.
    1. (specifically, historical) Chiefly with a qualifying word, as in epistle dedicatory: a letter of dedication addressed to a patron or reader published as a preface to a literary work.
  3. (Christianity)
    2. One of the books of the New Testament which was originally a letter issued by an apostle to an individual or a community.
      • a. 1632 (date written), John Donne, “To Sr. G. M.”, in John Donne [the Younger], editor, Letters to Severall Persons of Honour: […], London: […] J. Fletcher for Richard Marriot, […], published 1651, →OCLC, page 106:
        The Evangiles and Acts, teach us vvhat to beleeve, but the Epiſtles of the Apoſtles vvhat to do.
      • 1695, [John Locke], The Reasonableness of Christianity, as Delivered in the Scriptures, London: […] Awnsham and John Churchil, […], →OCLC, page 190:
        [T]he Doctrine of Faith, and Myſtery of Salvation, vvas more fully explained, in the Epiſtles vvrit by the Apoſtles.
      • 1956 November, Werner Keller, “In the Steps of St. Paul”, in William Neil, transl., The Bible as History: Archaeology Confirms the Book of Books, London: Hodder & Stoughton, →OCLC, page 360:
        Even last century scholars had begun to search for the cities in Asia Minor whose names have become so familiar to the Christian world through the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of St. Paul. Where were the places whose inhabitants received the famous Epistle to the Galatians?
    3. An extract from a New Testament epistle (sense 3.1) or book other than a gospel which is read during a church service, chiefly the Eucharist.

Alternative forms[edit]

  • (New Testament book; extract read during a church service): Epistle

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

Verb[edit]

epistle (third-person singular simple present epistles, present participle epistling, simple past and past participle epistled)

  1. (transitive)
    1. (chiefly literary or humorous) To write (something) in, or in the form of, a letter.
    2. (chiefly literary or humorous, archaic) To write a letter to (someone).
    3. (rare) To write (something) as an introduction or preface to a literary work; also, to provide (a literary work) with an introduction or preface.
      • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […]. Of that Sort of Dramatic Poem which is Call’d Tragedy.”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 4:
        And though antient Tragedy uſe no Prologue, yet uſing ſometimes, in caſe of ſelf defence, or explanation, that vvhich Martial calls an Epiſtle; in behalf of this Tragedy coming forth after the antient manner, much different from vvhat among us paſſes for beſt, thus much before-hand may be Epiſtl'd; that Chorus is here introduc'd after the Greek manner, not antient only but modern, and ſtill in uſe among the Italians.
  2. (intransitive, chiefly literary or humorous)
    1. To write a letter.
    2. To communicate with someone through a letter.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ “epistel, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “epistle, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2023; “epistle, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  3. ^ “epistle, v.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, July 2023.

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

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