Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#118468 12/29/03 07:32 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Do we have any genealogy buffs among us? Something reminded me of "epes" which I think was used to designate an individual who had changed his name, in one occasion because he was angry with the family, and in another a man changed his name to please a wealthy relative. At least that is my fragmentary recollection.
I can't find it in any dictionary. I have looked at a dozen genealogy glossaries without finding it.
Anybody know what it means?


#118469 12/29/03 07:58 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Z
Zed Offline
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
Z
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
doesn't s(epe) into my memory at all.


#118470 12/29/03 11:55 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Gurunet gave this; not much help, I'm afraid:
EPE stands for:
Electric Potential Energy
Electronic Processing Equipment
Elvis Presley Enterprises
Employment Placement Enterprise
Enhanced Performance Engine
Enhanced Privacy and Encryption
Estimated Position Error
Expanded Polyethylene
Experienced Programmer Education (IBM)
Extended Period of Eligibility
Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia



#118471 12/30/03 12:00 AM
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
stumped my searches, too...



formerly known as etaoin...
#118472 12/30/03 02:47 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
The next new catch-phrase will be: "Well, stump my searches".

#118473 12/30/03 05:07 AM
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555
M
addict
Offline
addict
M
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555
This doesn't seem to have *any relation to what you are asking about wwh, but, I found this in *my searches. There is just such a word in Greek, and it means 'line'. I found it while searching, in a page on Greek meter, which by itself makes interesting reading. The meter pattern for a distich is called 'hemiepes'. Bingley, come in...
Am posting the link if you are interested; scroll down till you find a paragraph titled, 'elegy and the five of nothing pentameter'. It is described there.

http://www.aoidoi.org/articles/meter/intro.php.



#118474 12/30/03 04:14 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
This would be complicated by the fact that Epes is a surname, a given name, and a town in Alabama.


#118475 12/30/03 04:19 PM
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
maybe it's really supposed to be "apes". now we're talking genealogy...



formerly known as etaoin...
#118476 12/30/03 05:08 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Watch it, Dudes. Half my family comes from Alabama.


...with banjos on their knees and everthang!


#118477 12/30/03 09:09 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
W
wow Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
No kidding, AnnaS - a branch of my family settled in Alabama.
So Happy New Year cousin!


#118478 01/01/04 05:09 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
G
addict
Offline
addict
G
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
"epes" - used to designate an individual who had changed his name, in one occasion because he was angry with the family, and in another a man changed his name to please a wealthy relative

"epes" [also "eps"] is short for "epaulet" (in the plural because "epes" are traditionally worn on both shoulders, or on both sides of the collar, at least in modern times).

"Changing epes" refers to the practice of changing one's allegiance to a new patron/sponsor/protector - specifically, by changing one's name to spurn an unsatisfactory patron or namesake, or to curry favor or show respect.

In modern times, star athletes "change their epes" by selling their services to the highest bidder, either a sports team or a commercial sponsor, such as Nike. (In this example, the Nike "Swoosh" is an "ep". This negotiation results in an actual physical change of uniform, corresponding to the "epes" of earlier times when knights and such wore the insignia of their leader.)

The practice of "changing epes" also contemplates the practice of naming one's offspring after the reigning stars of sports and entertainment, the true royalty of the modern world.

One can actually infer birthdates by the popularity of certain names such as "Madonna" or "Britney"*. This phenomenon mirrors the practice in the military of "changing epes" to reflect a change in rank.

epaulet
(Mil.) A shoulder ornament or badge worn by military and naval officers, differences of rank being marked by some peculiar form or device, as a star, eagle, etc.; a shoulder knot.

* Trendspotters predict Bridonna will be popular.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-0312280407dec28,1,7753610.story?coll=chi-homepagepromo451-fea




#118479 01/02/04 12:41 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
B
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Couldn't get your link to work, maahey. With a bit of digging around on aoidoi though I did find the reference. The address in the address bar looked exactly the same as what you've got, so I don't know why.

Later edit. Got it. Your full stop got caught up in the address. The link should read http://www.aoidoi.org/articles/meter/intro.php .
As for hemiepes, I haven't checked this, but he seems to be saying that the word is made up of hemi = half + ep = epic + es = adjectival ending.

Bingley


Bingley
#118480 01/02/04 01:31 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
G
addict
Offline
addict
G
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
With a bit of digging around on aoidoi though I did find the reference.

Thanks for the lead, Bingley. With a bit of digging around on aoidoi, I found this:

"The study of Greek meter exercises a great power of seduction over some scholars. You can find recently published books entirely on this topic and which devote an entire page to a schematic rendering of some tricky bit of Pindar. .... it's not clear to me how long I'll have to study before the notation "cretic + link anceps + hemiepes + final anceps" is going to mean much to me without a great deal of thought. .... "

It's greek to me.




#118481 01/03/04 01:19 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
G
addict
Offline
addict
G
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
Trendspotters predict "Bridonna" will be popular.

P.S. You could say the name is in gestation. [2nd trimester actually]


#118482 01/03/04 02:32 PM
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555
M
addict
Offline
addict
M
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555
Oops! Sorry folks! (thwacking head)


#118483 01/03/04 02:46 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Dear grapho: you gave me an idea for a great name:"Trendy".


#118484 01/03/04 06:54 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
G
addict
Offline
addict
G
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
you gave me an idea for a great name: "Trendy"

"Trendy" will never want for friends, wwh ... at least fair weather friends.


Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,330
Members9,182
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 1,577 guests, and 1 robot.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,541
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5