en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eulogy
2 corrections found
In the United States, they take place in a funeral home during or after a wake
This misstates typical U.S. practice. In the U.S., eulogies are commonly part of a funeral or memorial service, and those services can be held in many places—not just in a funeral home or specifically during/after a wake.
Full reasoning
U.S. funeral guidance does not limit eulogies to funeral homes or to the wake.
- The FTC distinguishes a viewing or visitation from the formal funeral service, showing that a wake/visitation is not the same thing as the funeral service. It says a traditional funeral usually includes "a viewing or visitation and formal funeral service" and that the service may be held at the funeral home or another funeral site.
- AARP's guidance on writing a eulogy explains that eulogies are part of memorial services and may occur in services with one or more eulogies.
- Funeral Consumers Alliance says a memorial service may be held in many venues, including a church, private home, funeral home, hotel, public meeting space, beach, or park, and describes the eulogy as a central part of that ceremony.
So the article's wording is too specific and inaccurate for the United States: eulogies are typically delivered as part of a funeral or memorial service, which may occur in multiple settings, not only in a funeral home during or after a wake.
3 sources
- Types of Funerals | Consumer Advice
This type of funeral ... usually includes a viewing or visitation and formal funeral service, use of a hearse to transport the body to the funeral site and cemetery ... costs often include ... rental of the funeral home for the viewing or service.
- How to Write a Eulogy that Captures Who the Person Was
Some memorial services are more formal and have only one or two eulogies ... others are more loosely planned and might include four or five short eulogies.
- How to Plan a Memorial Service - Funeral Consumers Alliance
A memorial service can be celebrated almost anywhere-church, private home, funeral home, hotel, public meeting space, beach, or park ... Spoken words: A eulogy celebrates the life of the person who died, and is often the most meaningful and fondly remembered part of the ceremony.
eu for "well" or "true"
The Greek element εὖ here means "well" (or "good"), not "true." Standard dictionary and lexicon sources derive eulogy from Greek eulogia, from eu "well" + -logia "speaking/praise."
Full reasoning
The etymology here is misstated.
- The Greek adverb εὖ is defined in the Middle Liddell lexicon as "well".
- Oxford's learner's dictionary gives the word origin as medieval Latin eulogium / eulogia, from Greek eulogia meaning "praise".
- Etymonline likewise derives eulogy from Greek eulogia "praise; good or fine language," from eu "well" + -logia "speaking."
So in this word, glossing eu as "true" is incorrect; the standard etymology is based on "well/good" speech or praise.
3 sources
- εὖ - Middle Liddell - Scaife ATLAS
εὖ ... well, Lat. bene ... ShortDef well
- eulogy noun - Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Word Origin late Middle English ... from medieval Latin eulogium, eulogia (from Greek eulogia 'praise').
- Eulogy - Etymology, Origin & Meaning
from Greek eulogia 'praise; good or fine language' ... from eu 'well' ... + -logia 'speaking'.