winged word

The story

1. Ancient Greek · calque ofἔπεα πτερόεντα
2. English todaywinged word

Calque of Ancient Greek ἔπεα πτερόεντα (épea pteróenta), often used by Homer (said to have been born c. 750 B.C.E.), to whom the Iliad and Odyssey are attributed: from ἔπεᾰ (épeă) (plural of ἔπος (épos, “something spoken: song, speech, story”)) + πτερόεντα (pteróenta) (plural of πτερόεις (pteróeis, “feathered; winged”), from πτερόν (pterón, “feather; wing”) + -εις (-eis, suffix forming adjectives with the sense of being full of, tending to, or thoroughly possessing a quality)).

First known use, by meaning

• late 16th c. A word or statement which is very apt for an occasion, or memorable.