epiphany

See also: Epiphany

English

WOTD – 22 March 2008

Etymology

From Old French epyphanie, from Late Latin epiphania, from Ancient Greek ἐπιφάνεια (epipháneia, “manifestation, striking appearance”), from ἐπιφαίνω (epiphaínō, “I appear, display”), from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “I shine, appear”). English Epiphany (of Christ) since the 14th century, generic use since the 17th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪˈpɪf.ə.ni/, /ɪˈpɪf.ni/, /ɛˈpɪf.ə.ni/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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Noun

epiphany (plural epiphanies)

1. A manifestation or appearance of a divine or superhuman being.
2. An illuminating realization or discovery, often resulting in a personal feeling of elation, awe, or wonder.
3. (Christianity) Alternative letter-case form of Epiphany.

Synonyms

• (illuminating realization or discovery): aha moment, enlightenment, nirvana, satori
• (manifestation of a deity): theophany

Related terms

• (Christian celebration): Epiphany

Translations

manifestation or appearance of a divine or superhuman being

• Bulgarian: богоявле́ние n (bogojavlénie)
• Czech: zjevení n
• Danish: åbenbaring c
• Dutch: verschijning (nl), openbaring (nl)
• Esperanto: epifanio
• Finnish: ilmestys (fi)
• French: apparition (fr) f
• Galician: epifanía f
• German: Erscheinung (de) f, Offenbarung (de) f, Manifestation f, Epiphanie (de) f
• Greek: επιφάνεια (el) (epifáneia), θεοφάνεια (el) (theofáneia)

• Italian: epifania (it) f, Epifania f, ierofania (it) f, apparizione (it) f, befana (it) f
• Japanese: エピファニー (Epifanī)
• Macedonian: богојавление n (bogojavlenie)
• Polish: olśnienie n
• Portuguese: epifania (pt) f, manifestação (pt) f
• Romanian: epifanie n
• Russian: явле́ние (ru) n (javlénije), богоявле́ние (ru) f (bogojavlénije)
• Serbo-Croatian: epifànija (sh) f, bogojávljēnje n
• Spanish: epifanía (es) f, manifestación (es) f
• Venetian: Pifanìa (vec) f, Pefanìa f

illuminating realization or discovery

• Bulgarian: проглеждане n (progleždane), прозрение (bg) n (prozrenie)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 頓悟 (zh), 顿悟 (zh) (dùnwù), 洞察 (zh) (dòngchá), 領悟 (zh), 领悟 (zh) (lǐngwù)

• Danish: åbenbaring c
• Dutch: epifanie (nl), ingeving (nl) n
• Finnish: ahaa-elämys, valaistus (fi)
• French: illumination (fr), révélation (fr) f
• German: Erleuchtung f, Heureka-Moment m, Aha-Erlebnis (de) n
• Hebrew: הֶאָרָה‎ (he) f (heará)

• Hungarian: felismerés (hu)
• Italian: rivelazione (it) f
• Japanese: 洞察 (ja) (どうさつ, dōsatsu)
• Macedonian: прогледување n (progleduvanje)
• Portuguese: epifania (pt) f
• Romanian: epifanie n
• Russian: прозре́ние (ru) n (prozrénije), озаре́ние (ru) n (ozarénije)
• Serbo-Croatian: epifànija (sh) f
• Ukrainian: прозріння n (prozrinnja)

Epiphany — see Epiphany

See also

• Advent
• Christmas
• eureka
• Twelve Days of Christmas

Further reading

• epiphany (feeling) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• epiphany (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia