Greek 'epi-' (after) + 'logos' (word) — theconcludingsection of a work, reflecting on what has come before.
Definition
A section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a conclusion or comment on what has happened. A concluding part added to a literary work.
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Greek15th centurywell-attested
From Greek 'epílogos' (ἐπίλογος, conclusion, closing speech, peroration), from 'epí' (ἐπί, upon, in addition, after) + 'lógos' (λόγος, word, speech, reason), from the verb 'légein' (to speak, to gather, to collect), from PIE *leǵ- (to gather, to collect). The semantic evolution from 'gathering' to 'speaking' is one of the great metaphors preserved in PIE derivatives: to speak is to gather words, to reason is to collect thoughts, and a 'lógos' is literally a gathering of meaning. Greek drama had a formal epilogue — typically a speech by a character or the chorus summarizing the moral lesson
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Shakespeare's epilogues often break the fourth wall, with a character stepping forward to address the audience directly. In 'The Tempest' — widely believed to be Shakespeare's last solo play — Prospero's epilogue asks the audience to release him with their applause: 'As you from crimes would pardoned be, / Let your indulgence set me free.' Many scholarsread this as Shakespeare himself saying
), 'lectus' (chosen, gathered), giving English 'collect,' 'elect,' 'select,' 'lecture,' 'legend,' 'legal,' 'lesson,' and 'privilege.' The word entered English via Latin 'epilogus' and Old French 'epilogue' in the 15th century. Key roots: epi- (Greek: "upon, in addition, after"), logos (Greek: "word, speech, reason"), *leǵ- (Proto-Indo-European: "to gather, to collect").