Lars Eighner's Homepage Writers' Workshop Glossary: E

E

effect / affect See: affect / effect

enormity / enormousness noun [disputed]

Everyone will be pleased if enormousness is the word used when nothing more is meant than "the extent of greatness in size" is meant. Purists insist that enormity can only mean "monstrous wickedness," as for example, "the enormity of the Holocaust." Modern authorities will allow enormity in some situations in which the reference is both to largeness in size and profundity of effect on account of large size, but it remains the safest course to avoid enormity when it might be used only as a fancy word for extreme largeness. Even those who think enormity is acceptable for "largeness of size" will not be offended if enormousness is used instead.

e`pen·the·sis /E'pEnTIsIs/ noun

(language) The addition of extra sounds in the middle of a word, as when "nuclear" is pronounced "nukular" and when "athlete" is pronounced "athalete."

`ep·i,graph /'Ep@,gr&f/ noun

(MS)

1 : A page in a manuscript with a brief quotation meant to suggest the theme, tone, or spirit of the book. Sometimes this is a quotation from the work itself. Even the briefest quotation from songs or poems that are still under copyright may require the permission of the owner of the work. Although the epigraph in the finished book is often set flush right or centered, it should be entered normally in manuscript.
2 : A similar quotation introducing a chapter or other subdivision of a book. In manuscript, enter this sort of epigraph above the chapter or story title, but move the title farther down the page.
3 : (book) The epigraph in the finished book.

Confused with: epigram

ethical / moral adjective [usage]

Where the distinction is pertinent, ethical means that which is right (as opposed to wrong) universally as determined by reason, and moral means that is which is correct according to local custom and belief. Thus, there is no ethical objection to eating with one's left hand, but this is morally offensive in some places.