Words & WritingGreek → English
Apothegm
/ˈæpəθɛm/noun
A terse, pointed saying, usually attributed to a particular speaker.
The Greek roots
ἀπό
apó
forth, out
φθέγγομαι
phthéngomai
to utter, speak out
Literally: “a thing uttered plainly”
The story of the word
Plutarch collected the ἀποφθέγματα of kings and commanders, and admired the Spartans above all for answering at the shortest possible length, a habit their region gave its name to in the word laconic. Erasmus reissued Plutarch's collection in 1531 and English took the word soon after; Bacon compiled his own set while out of office. The fuller British spelling apophthegm keeps consonants that no English speaker pronounces.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Latin → English
- First recorded
- 16th century
In a sentence
The chairman ended every meeting with the same apothegm about ships and harbours.