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éloge (as a literary genre)

English translation: encomium

07:42 Jun 27, 2017
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / literary genres
French term or phrase: éloge (as a literary genre)
Hi all.
I am hoping some of the more literary savvy of you might be able to help me with this one. This is an excerpt from the summary of an academic paper :

"...Menée avec un regard littéraire, l’exploration de ce vaste fonds d’archives a permis de sélectionner un échantillon de discours restés inédits et d’en proposer une édition critique. *****Le genre de l’éloge,***** très lié à l’institution académique, méritait que l'on entreprenne ce travail de transcription et d'annotation : on trouvera ainsi dans cet ouvrage une série de pièces épidictiques, composées par les académiciens eux-mêmes ou provenant d’individus étroitement liés à l’académie par leur fonction de prédicateurs ou leur participation aux concours..."

So, I understand that "éloge" is a literary genre, characterised by the author singing the praises of a person or institution, but am wondering if "eulogy" is the correct translation. I have found references which indicate that eulogies can be used to praise living persons, but are mostly used to evoke happy and good memories of the deceased. Whereas "éloge" does not seem to have this same conotation.
https://literarydevices.net/eulogy/

I would be very interested and grateful for any comments or alternative translations.
Thanks !
Jeffrey Henson
France
Local time: 15:27
English translation:encomium
Explanation:
There is reference to this as a literary genre that praises and is enthusiastic.

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Note added at 56 mins (2017-06-27 08:38:59 GMT)
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https://books.google.ro/books?id=Jw_n7kkP2HAC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA...
Selected response from:

Sinéad Moore
Romania
Local time: 16:27
Grading comment
Thanks very much for your help Sinéad!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3encomium
Sinéad Moore
4elegy
Katarina Peters
3 +1Elogy
Herbmione Granger
3elegiac
mrrafe
3laudatory
Helen Hagon


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
elegiac


Explanation:
Elegiac poetry describes a genre, which doesn't comprise prose as far as I know. The term derives from elegy but I haven't researched to what extent that is related to eulogy or éloge.


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Note added at 42 mins (2017-06-27 08:25:11 GMT)
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I'm not aware that "elegiac" standing alone can be the name of a genre.

mrrafe
United States
Local time: 09:27
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks very much for your help !


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Charles Davis: The genre is the elegy. But that's not what "éloge" means.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks. I was just curious whether there's a shared etymology.
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
encomium


Explanation:
There is reference to this as a literary genre that praises and is enthusiastic.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 56 mins (2017-06-27 08:38:59 GMT)
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https://books.google.ro/books?id=Jw_n7kkP2HAC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA...


    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encomium
Sinéad Moore
Romania
Local time: 16:27
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks very much for your help Sinéad!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  mrrafe: I'm aware that a single tribute such as a poem or epitaph can be an encomium, but am not aware of encomium as the name of a genre. /// That's fine, it may be the answer. As a regretful EN major, I never figured out what a genre is.
27 mins
  -> I would tend to agree but have found some references to an encomium genre (but with reference to the Gospels) see note. I should really have put this as a discussion topic, not an answer
agree  Charles Davis: The best word to use here, in my opinion. Definitely a genre, one of the oldest in fact.
3 hrs
agree  philgoddard
5 hrs
agree  GILLES MEUNIER: it's more idiomatic
5 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
laudatory


Explanation:
Just another suggestion to add to the mix. It suggests praise but without the implication that the person is deceased. There is also an echo of ancient Greek and Roman laudatory speeches.


    https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vbo5u-pdtvsC&pg=PA3094&lpg=PA3094&dq=laudatory+literature&source=bl&ots=KmmKsDt5Nc&sig=U2d5EyLJWhSbpUn2I
    https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=T4chAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=laudatory+speech&source=bl&ots=aw-uVnQRhJ&sig=3qRCcQxU1xUH1x45Aw2ytwC
Helen Hagon
Local time: 14:27
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks very much for your help !

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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
elegy


Explanation:
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/elegy


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Note added at 4 hrs (2017-06-27 11:57:05 GMT)
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In answer to your note, the text does not specify it, it only mentions a "type of elegy". A type of elegy could also be "praise".

Katarina Peters
Canada
Local time: 09:27
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in HungarianHungarian, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 14
Notes to answerer
Asker: This seems to be too specific: (An elegy is a sad poem, usually written to praise and express sorrow for someone who is dead), whereas Nothing in the source text indicates that this is poetry, that it is sad, or that it was composed for someone who is dead.

Asker: Thanks very much for your help !

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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Elogy


Explanation:
Based on some Internet sources: An 'elogy' is like the Latin form of 'eulogy' (Greek). Both mean 'praise'. Elogy is archaic but might have less of a post mortem connotation.
The genre is then 'Elogy', so 'Le genre de l’éloge' is 'The genre Elogy' or just 'Elogy'.
In-use case of 'elogy' (lower case): 'he delves into an elogy for Tim Ogden, head of the Financial Access Initiative at NYU' https://governancexborders.com/2013/10/

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Note added at 5 hrs (2017-06-27 13:15:49 GMT)
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'if someone wanted to distort the meaning of this elogy and imply that this blessed man confused the disciplines of philosophy and theology, which are most clearly distinct, and that he attempted to demonstrate theological theses from principles of reason or philosophical theses from hypotheses of revelation, then he would do my blessed father a great injustice' http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/institutes-of-divine-juris...

From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3311255 (I think it's a genre. No one will be writing me an elogy :( Perhaps the term is 'academic elogy'):
Bull Mem Acad R Med Belg. 1987;142(1):142-8. [Academic elogy of Prof. Marc Herlant, titular member]. [Article in French]; [Academic elogy on Prof. Pierre Fredericq, titular member]. Beumer J. Bull Mem Acad R Med Belg. 1986; 141(2):187-93. ; [Academic elogy of Prof. Fernand Orban, Honorary Member]. de Scoville A.Bull Mem Acad R Med Belg. 1983; 138(4):263-81.


    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elogy
    Reference: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=eulogy
Herbmione Granger
Germany
Local time: 15:27
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks very much for your help !


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: Or eulogy, and Webster's also has "eloge".
3 hrs
  -> Thanks! Yes, I see 'academic eulogy' also, if one doesn't mind the connotation.
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