epistolary
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English
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: e‧pis‧to‧la‧ry
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪˈpɪst(ə)ˌləɹi/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Etymology 1
1650s, from French épistolaire, from Latin epistolārius, from epistola (“letter”) (English epistle) + -ārius, from Ancient Greek ἐπιστολή (epistolḗ) from ἐπιστέλλω (epistéllō, “I send a message”) from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + στέλλω (stéllō, “I prepare, send”).
Adjective
epistolary (comparative more epistolary, superlative most epistolary)
- Of or relating to letters, or the writing of letters.
- Carried on by written correspondence.
- an epistolary relationship
- In the manner of written correspondence.
- epistolary style
- an epistolary novel
- 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A Request Refused”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. , volume II, London: Henry Colburn, , →OCLC, page 297:
- But Sir Jasper has a great talent for epistolary correspondence—to be sure he has nothing else to do; but my time is of great importance.
Related terms
Translations
of or relating to letters, or the writing of letters
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carried on by written correspondence
in the manner of written correspondence
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Etymology 2
From Middle English pistelarie, from Latin epistolārium, from epistola (“letter”) (English epistle) + -ārium, from Ancient Greek ἐπιστολή (epistolḗ) from ἐπιστέλλω (epistéllō, “I send a message”) from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + στέλλω (stéllō, “I prepare, send”).
Noun
epistolary (plural epistolaries)
- (Christianity) A Christian liturgical book containing set readings for church services from the New Testament Epistles.
References
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “epistolary”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.