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47-663: In its earliest usage, alma mater was an honorific title for various mother goddesses , especially Ceres or Cybele . Later, in Catholicism , it became a title for Mary, mother of Jesus . By the early 17th century, the nursing mother became an allegory for universities. Used by many schools in Europe and North America, it has special association with the University of Bologna , whose motto Alma Mater Studiorum ("nurturing mother of studies") emphasizes its role in originating

94-424: A focus on epithet as a smear word,' writes David Binder, my longtime Times colleague, 'which was still a synonym for 'delineation' or 'characterization' in my big 1942 Webster's but now seems to be almost exclusively a synonym for 'derogation' or 'smear word.' ... In the past century, [epithet] blossomed as 'a word of abuse,' today gleefully seized upon to describe political smears." Descriptive bynames were given to

141-857: A founding city or dynasty. The Alma Mater Europaea in Salzburg , Austria, an international university founded by the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2010, uses the term as its official name. In the United States , the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia , has been called the "Alma Mater of the Nation" because of its ties to the founding of the country. At Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario , and

188-485: A modifier from the animate to the inanimate; for example, "cheerful money" and "suicidal sky". Orators take special care when using epithets so as to not use them as smear words. Orators could be accused of racial or abusive epithets if used incorrectly. American journalist William Safire discussed the use of the word in a 2008 column in The New York Times : "'I am working on a piece about nationalism with

235-520: A person to distinguish them from other people of the same name. In England bynames were used during the period when the use of surnames had not been extensively adopted. As an example the Domesday Book of 1086 identifies 40 individuals with the given name of "Richard". Most (40%), such as "Richard of Coursey" are identified with a locational byname, indicating where they came from, or in some cases where they lived. Others (25%), such as "Richard

282-422: A persuasive tactic. Orators have a variety of epithets that they can employ that have different meanings. The most common are fixed epithets and transferred epithets. A fixed epithet is the repetitive use of the same word or phrase for the same person or object. A transferred epithet qualifies a noun other than the person or thing it is describing. This is also known as a hypallage. This can often involve shifting

329-465: A phenomenon with the syntax–semantics interface , because they have components of both, and also a pragmatic dimension. An epithet is linked to its noun by long-established usage. Not every adjective is an epithet. An epithet is especially recognizable when its function is largely decorative, such as if "cloud-gathering Zeus" is employed other than in reference to conjuring up a storm. "The epithets are decorative insofar as they are neither essential to

376-939: A real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great , Suleiman the Magnificent , Richard the Lionheart , and Ladislaus the Short , or allusive , as in Edward the Confessor , William the Conqueror , Æthelred the Unready , John Lackland , Mehmed the Conqueror and Bloody Mary . The word epithet also may refer to an abusive, defamatory, or derogatory word or phrase. This use

423-467: A reference to the mythological place of birth or numinous presence at a specific sanctuary: sacrifice might be offered on one and the same occasion to Pythian Apollo ( Apollo Pythios ) and Delphic Apollo ( Apollo Delphinios ). A localizing epithet refers simply to a particular center of veneration and the cultic tradition there, as the god manifested at a particular festival, for example: Zeus Olympios, Zeus as present at Olympia, or Apollo Karneios, Apollo at

470-771: A year studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , and also several years in Florence , Italy, studying in the studio of Thomas Ball . French first earned acclaim for The Minute Man , commissioned by the town of Concord, Massachusetts , which was unveiled April 19, 1875, on the centenary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord . French established his own studio, first in Washington, D.C. , which he later moved to Boston and then to New York City . In 1893, French's reputation grew with his Statue of

517-450: Is " Apollo , [as] leader of the Muses " and therefore patron of the arts and sciences, while Phoibos Apollo is the same deity, but as shining sun-god. " Athena protects the city as polias , oversees handicrafts as ergane , joins battle as promachos and grants victory as nike ." Alternatively, the epithet may identify a particular and localized aspect of the god, such as

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564-414: Is also considered an epithet. The Greek term antonomasia , in rhetoric, means substituting any epithet or phrase for a proper name, as "Pelides", signifying the "son of Peleus", to identify Achilles . An opposite substitution of a proper name for some generic term is also sometimes called antonomasia , as a Cicero for an orator. The use of a father's name or ancestor's name, such as "Pelides" in

611-547: Is criticized by Martin Manser and other proponents of linguistic prescription . H. W. Fowler noted in 1926 that " epithet is suffering a vulgarization that is giving it an abusive imputation." Epithets are sometimes attached to a person's name or appear in place of their name, as what might be described as a glorified nickname or sobriquet , and for this reason some linguists have argued that they should be considered as pronouns . It has also been argued that epithets are

658-551: Is on the title-page of a book by William Perkins , A Golden Chain , where the Latin phrase Alma Mater Cantabrigia ("nourishing mother Cambridge") is inscribed on a pedestal bearing a lactating woman wearing a mural crown . In reference works of English etymology, often the first university-related usage is cited as 1710, when an academic mother figure is mentioned in a remembrance of Henry More by Richard Ward. Many historic European universities have adopted Alma Mater as part of

705-524: The epitheton Comes as companion of another (usually major) divinity. An epithet can even be meant for collective use, e.g., in Latin pilleati , "the felt hat-wearers" for the brothers Castor and Pollux . Some epithets resist explanation. Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Christians of other churches practice the use of epithets in the veneration of Jesus (e.g., "Christ"; " Prince of Peace "; " The Good Shepherd "), of Mary, Mother of Jesus (e.g., " Mother of God "; " Panagia "), and of

752-461: The Alma Mater as a bearer of light and truth, standing in the midst of figures representing the arts and sciences. Epithet An epithet (from Ancient Greek ἐπίθετον (epítheton)  'adjective', from ἐπίθετος (epíthetos)  'additional'), also a byname , is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of

799-987: The American Academy of Arts and Letters (which awarded him the Gold Medal for Sculpture in 1917), the Architectural League , and the Accademia di San Luca , of Rome. He was a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and a co-founder of the American Academy in Rome . He was a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor and was awarded a medal of honor from the Paris Exposition of 1900 ; he also

846-547: The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, the main student government is known as the Alma Mater Society. Modern sculptures of Alma Mater are found on several North American university campuses. In 1901, a bronze statue of Alma Mater by Daniel Chester French was installed of steps of Columbia University 's Low Library . A similar sculpture, cast in 1919 by Mario Korbel , sits on

893-465: The fall of Rome , the term was used in Christian liturgy to describe Jesus' mother, Mary . " Alma Redemptoris Mater " is a well-known eleventh century antiphon devoted to Mary. The earliest documented use of the term to refer to a university is in 1600, when the University of Cambridge printer, John Legate, began using an emblem for the university press . The first-known appearance of the device

940-514: The Bald . The same epithet can be used repeatedly joined to different names, such as Alexander the Great as well as Constantine the Great . Other epithets can easily be omitted without serious risk of confusion and are therefore known as epitheton ornans . Thus, the classical Roman author Virgil systematically called his main hero pius Aeneas , the epithet being pius , meaning religiously observant, humble and wholesome, as well as calling

987-514: The Heavenly & Zeus the Protector of Guests" all the way to " Johnny Football & King James". American comic books tend to give epithets to superheroes , such as The Phantom being "The Ghost Who Walks", Superman called "The Man of Steel", and "The Dynamic Duo" Batman and Robin , who are individually known as "The Dark Knight" and "The Boy Wonder". Additionally, epíteto ,

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1034-527: The Latin translation of their official name. The Latin name of the University of Bologna , Alma Mater Studiorum (nourishing mother of studies), refers to its status as the oldest continuously operating university in the world . At other European universities, such as the Alma Mater Lipsiensis in Leipzig, Germany, or Alma Mater Jagiellonica , Poland, the title emphasizes historic ties to

1081-640: The Olympian Gods with Zeus . But in specific cults there may be a different equation, based on one specific aspect of the divinity. Thus, the Greek word Trismegistos ("thrice grand") was first used as a Greek name for the Egyptian god of science and invention, Thoth , later as an epitheton for the Greek Hermes and, finally, the fully equated Roman Mercurius Mercury (both were messenger of

1128-871: The Place d'Iena in Paris, France, in 1900; the General Grant statue in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia , commissioned by the Association for Public Art (formerly the Fairmount Park Art Association); and the equestrian statue of Joseph Hooker in Boston. French was one of many sculptors who frequently employed Audrey Munson as a model; another frequent sitter was Hettie Anderson . Together with Walter Leighton Clark and others, he

1175-1165: The Republic for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago . Other works by French include the First Division Monument and the Butt-Millet Memorial Fountain in Washington; John Harvard , Cambridge, Massachusetts ; bronze doors for the Boston Public Library ; and Four Continents at the US Custom House, New York (now the Alexander Hamilton US Custom House ). In addition to the Lincoln Memorial, French collaborated with architect Henry Bacon on numerous memorials around

1222-545: The Spanish version of epithet, is commonly used throughout poems in Castilian literature. In many polytheistic religions, such as those of ancient India and Iran (the most ancient of which go back to a common Indo-Iranian period), Greece and Rome, a deity's epithets generally reflected a particular aspect of that god's essence and role, for which their influence may be obtained for a specific occasion: Apollo Musagetes

1269-647: The Spartan Carneian festival . Often the epithet is the result of fusion of the Olympian divinity with an older one. Poseidon Erechtheus and Artemis Orthia reflect intercultural equations of a divinity with an older one that is generally considered its pendan. Thus, most Roman gods and goddesses, especially the Twelve Olympians , had traditional counterparts in Greek, Etruscan, and most other Mediterranean pantheons, such as Jupiter as head of

1316-609: The argument had been stated at length." With persuasion being a key component of rhetoric, it is rational to use epithets. The use of persuasive wording gives leverage to one's arguments. Knowledge along with descriptive words or phrases can be a powerful tool. This is supported in Bryan Short's article when he states, "The New Rhetoric derives its empiricist flavor from a pervasive respect for clarity and directness of language." Rhetoricians use epithets to direct their audience to see their point of view, using verbal forms of imagery as

1363-482: The armsbearer of Aeneas fidus Achates , the epithet being fidus , which means faithful or loyal. Epithets are characteristic of the style of ancient epic poetry , notably in that of Homer or the northern European sagas (see above, as well as epithets in Homer ). When James Joyce uses the phrase "the snot-green sea" he is playing Homer's familiar epithet "the wine-dark sea". The phrase "Discreet Telemachus "

1410-403: The butler" and "Richard the bald" are identified with an occupational or a personally descriptive byname. Some of the individuals, such as Richard Basset , made use of what would now be recognized as a surname. The distinction between a byname and a surname is that the byname is not usually heritable, and may change for any given person as his circumstances change. Richard the Bald, for example,

1457-547: The case of Achilles, or "Saturnia" in the case of the goddess Juno in Virgil's Aeneid , is specifically called a patronymic device and is in its own class of epithet. In William Shakespeare 's play Romeo and Juliet , epithets are used in the prologue, such as "star-cross'd lovers" and "death-mark'd love." Epithets were in layman's terms glorified nicknames that could be used to represent one's style, artistic nature, or even geographical reference. They originated to simply serve

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1504-712: The country and on the Dupont Circle fountain in Washington, D.C. In 1893, French was a founding member of the National Sculpture Society , and he was appointed a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1913. During this time, he served as an instructor at the Art Students League of New York , teaching sculpture there in 1890 and 1898. French also became a member of the National Academy of Design (1901),

1551-448: The full phrase's origin is attributed to De rerum natura , in which Lucretius uses the term as an epithet for an unnamed earth goddess: Denique caelesti sumus omnes semine oriundi omnibus ille idem pater est, unde alma liquentis umoris guttas mater cum terra recepit (2.991–993) We are all sprung from that celestial seed, all of us have same father, from whom earth, the nourishing mother, receives drops of liquid moisture After

1598-508: The gods). Among the Greeks, T.H. Price notes that the nurturing power of Kourotrophos might be invoked in sacrifices and recorded in inscription, without specifically identifying Hera or Demeter . Some epithets were applied to several deities of the same pantheon rather accidentally if they had a common characteristic, or deliberately, emphasizing their blood or other ties. Thus, in pagan Rome, several divinities gods and heroes were given

1645-531: The iconic design of the printing press and the wording on the award: "For disinterested and meritorious public service rendered by an American newspaper during the year….". In collaboration with Edward Clark Potter he modeled the George Washington statue, commissioned by a group that called itself "The Association of American Women for the Erection of a Statue of Washington in Paris" and unveiled in

1692-472: The immediate context nor modeled especially for it. Among other things, they are extremely helpful to fill out a half-verse", Walter Burkert has noted. Some epithets are known by the Latin term epitheton necessarium , as they are required to distinguish the bearers, as an alternative to numbers after a prince's name—such as Richard the Lionheart ( Richard I of England ), or Charles the Fat alongside Charles

1739-552: The main entrance steps at the University of Havana . Later American tributes to alma mater include Lorado Taft's 1929 sculpture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Cyrus Dallin's 1925 sculpture at the Mary Institute in 1925, commissioned by Washington University supporters. An altarpiece mural in Yale University's Sterling Memorial Library , painted in 1932 by Eugene Savage , depicts

1786-553: The mill", while another might be described as "John Smith the short". Daniel Chester French Daniel Chester French (April 20, 1850 – October 7, 1931) was an American sculptor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works include The Minute Man , an 1874 statue in Concord, Massachusetts , and his 1920 monumental statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. French

1833-537: The modern university . Several university campuses in North America have artistic representations of alma mater , depicted as a robed woman wearing a laurel wreath crown. Although alma (nourishing) was a common epithet for Ceres , Cybele , Venus , and other mother goddesses, it was not frequently used in conjunction with mater in classical Latin. In the Oxford Latin Dictionary ,

1880-521: The orator. "It will generally happen, that the Epithets employed by a skillful orator, will be found to be, in fact, so many abridged arguments, the force of which is sufficiently conveyed by a mere hint; e.g., if any one says, 'We ought to take warning from the bloody revolution of France,' the Epithet suggests one of the reasons for our being warned; and that, not less clearly, and more forcibly, than if

1927-429: The purpose of dealing with names that were hard to pronounce or just unpleasant. It from there went to something that could be very significant assigned by elders or counterparts to represent one's position in the community, or it could be a representation of whomever one wanted to be or thought he was. The elegance of this movement was used throughout history and even modern day, with many examples ranging from "Aphrodite

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1974-545: The saints (e.g., " Pope Saint John Paul the Great , Saint Theophan the Recluse "). " Our Lady of Lourdes " is essentially periphrasis , except where some aspect of the Virgin is invoked. An epithet is an adjective or adjectival phrase that characterizes a place, a thing, or a person that helps make the characteristics of this thing more prominent. These descriptive phrases can be used in a positive or negative way that benefits

2021-645: Was also one of the founders of the Berkshire Playhouse, which later became the Berkshire Theatre Festival . French's daughter, Margaret, also occasionally modeled for him, including for some of his rare portrait paintings, and became famous in her own right as a sculptor under the name Margaret French Cresson . In 1917, Harvard's citation in conferring an honorary Master of Arts referred to his statue of Emerson when it called him "a sculptor, whose skillful hand, unlike that of

2068-587: Was born on April 20, 1850, in Exeter, New Hampshire , the son of Anne Richardson (1811–1856), daughter of William Merchant Richardson (1774–1838), chief justice of New Hampshire, and of Henry Flagg French (1813–1885), a lawyer, judge, Assistant U.S. Treasury Secretary , and author of a book that described the French drain . His siblings were Henriette Van Mater French Hollis (1839–1911), Sarah Flagg French Bartlett (1846–1883), and William M.R. French (1843–1914). He

2115-555: Was granted honorary degrees from Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, and Columbia universities. He was a founding member of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts , serving from 1910 to 1915, including as chairman from 1912 to 1915. In 1917, French and a colleague, Henry Augustus Lukeman , designed the Pulitzer Prize gold medal presented to laureates. French designed the side of the prize with Benjamin Franklin on it, while Lukeman created

2162-455: Was presumably not always bald, and Richard of Brampton may not have always lived at Brampton. The use of bynames did not end with the adoption of surnames. In some cases, before the adoption of middle names, government records, such as taxes lists, included people with both the same given name and the same surname. This led to the use of bynames to further distinguish the person. For example, one "John Smith" might be described as "John Smith of

2209-489: Was the uncle of Senator Henry F. Hollis . In 1867, French moved with his family to Concord, Massachusetts , where he was a neighbor and friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson , and the Alcott family . His decision to pursue sculpting was influenced by Louisa May Alcott 's sister Abigail May Alcott . French's early education included training in anatomy with William Rimmer and in drawing with William Morris Hunt . French spent

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