ギリシャ語のepekhein（やめる、再び始める）から。epi-, on, -ekh, to hold, gripからきており、語源的にはscheme, schoolと同じ。 新しい時代、epochに由来する。中国語の「王朝を変える」を参照。
英語の語源
epoch
epoch: [17] Historically, epoch means ‘point in time’, but its particular application to ‘point marking the beginning of a new period of time’ has led increasingly to its use in modern English for simply ‘historical period’. The word comes via modern Latin epocha from Greek epokhé, literally ‘pause, stoppage’, and hence ‘fixed point in time’. This was a derivative of epékhein ‘pause, hold back’, a compound verb formed from the prefix epí- ‘back’ and ékhein ‘hold’ (source of English hectic and related to scheme and sketch). => hectic, scheme, sketch
epoch (n.)
1610s, epocha, "point marking the start of a new period in time" (such as the founding of Rome, the birth of Christ, the Hegira), from Medieval Latin epocha, from Greek epokhe "stoppage, fixed point of time," from epekhein "to pause, take up a position," from epi "on" (see epi-) + ekhein "to hold" (see scheme (n.)). Transferred sense of "a period of time" is 1620s; geological usage (not a precise measurement) is from 1802.
例文
1. It was meant to sound like an epoch -Making declaration.
は、画期的な宣言のように聞こえるように意図しています。
2.The death of the emperor marked the end of an epoch in the country 's history.
皇帝の崩御は、同国の歴史上の時代の終わりを示している。
3.The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.
ルネサンスは文化的に空前の成果を収めた時代である。
4.The epoch of revolution creates great figures.
革命時代に偉大な人物を生み出した。
5.We 're at the end of the historical epoch ，and at the dawn of another.