1580s, "pertaining to or constituting a lengthy heroic poem," via Middle French épique or directly from Latin epicus, from Greek epikos, from epos "a word; a tale, story; promise, prophecy, proverb; poetry in heroic verse," from PIE *wekw- "to speak" (see voice (n.)). Extended sense of "grand, heroic" first recorded in English 1731. From 1706 as a noun in reference to an epic poem, "A long narrative told on a grand scale of time and place, featuring a larger-than-life protagonist and heroic actions" [Miller Williams, "Patterns of Poetry"]. Earlier as "an epic poet" (1630s).
例文
1. The themes get tangled in Mr.Mahfouz 's epic storytelling.
マッハフォーツ氏の物語は壮大すぎて、テーマが少し混乱している。
2.Their epic fight is the subject of a new film.
彼らの叙事詩的な戦いは新しい映画のテーマだ。
3.Like "Gone With The Wind "it 's an unashamed epic romance.
は、『風と共に去りぬ』と同様、忌憚のない叙事詩のようなラブストーリーでもある。
4.I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.