epocha

See also: épocha

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin epocha.

Noun

epocha (plural epochas)

1. Obsolete form of epoch. [17th–19th c.]
   • 1667, J[oseph] G[lanvill], Some Philosophical Considerations Touching the Being of Witches and Witchcraft. […], London: […] E[llen] C[otes] for James Collins […], →OCLC, page 5:

     [S]tanding publick Records have been kept of theſe vvell atteſted Relations, and Epocha’s made of thoſe unvvonted events.

   • 1773, John Adams, “1773. Decr. 17th”, in Diary of John Adams, Volume 2, pages 85–86:

     This Destruction of the Tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, intrepid and inflexible, and it must have so important Consequences, and so lasting, that I cant but consider it as an Epocha in History.

   • 1790, Helen Maria Williams, Letters Written in France, Broadview, published 2002, page 70:

     [T]hese dancers were the very men whose bravery formed the great epocha of French liberty; the heroes who demolished the towers of the Bastille, and whose fame will descend to the latest posterity.

Anagrams

• Phocea, cheapo, phocae

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɛpoxa]

Noun

epocha f

1. epoch

Declension

Declension of epocha (hard feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	epocha	epochy
genitive	epochy	epoch
dative	epoše	epochám
accusative	epochu	epochy
vocative	epocho	epochy
locative	epoše	epochách
instrumental	epochou	epochami

Related terms

• epochální

See also

• éra
• období
• časy
• věk

Further reading

• “epocha”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “epocha”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “epocha”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἐποχή (epokhḗ, “a check, cessation, stop, pause, epoch of a star, i.e., the point at which it seems to halt after reaching the highest, and generally the place of a star; hence, a historical epoch”), from ἐπέχω (epékhō, “I hold in, check”), from ἐπι- (epi-, “upon”) + ἔχω (ékhō, “I have, hold”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈɛ.pɔ.kʰa]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈɛː.po.ka]

Noun

epocha f (genitive epochae); first declension

1. (Medieval Latin) age, period, time, season, epoch (particular period of history)

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	epocha	epochae
genitive	epochae	epochārum
dative	epochae	epochīs
accusative	epocham	epochās
ablative	epochā	epochīs
vocative	epocha	epochae

Descendants

• → English: epocha, epoch
• → German: Epoche
• Asturian: época
• French: époque
• Galician: época
• Italian: epoca
• Mirandese: época
• Portuguese: época
• Romanian: epocă
• Sicilian: èbbica
• Spanish: época

Portuguese

Noun

epocha f (plural epochas)

1. Pre-reform spelling (used until 1943 in Brazil and 1911 in Portugal) of época.
   • 1880, Maria Amalia Vaz de Carvalho, “A escolha de Gastão [Gastão’s choice]”, in Contos e phantasias [Short stories and fantasies]‎^[1], 2nd edition, Lisbon: Parceria Antonio Maria Pereira, published 1905, page 108:

     E’ no meio d’esta familia admiravelmente feita para a sua epocha e para a posição que tem, que vamos encontrar Gastão […]

     It’s in the middle of this family admirably made for its time and its position, that we will find Gastão […]

   • 1842, Francisco Ignacio Pereira Rubião, O Alto Douro‎^[2], volume I, Typographia da Revista, page 9:

     Nesta épocha o seu provimento fôra o mesmo, ainda que não estivesse em vigor o Tratado de 1703.

     In this period its reserves were the same, even though the Treaty of 1703 was not in effect.

   • 1880, Revista Scientifica e Litteraria‎^[3], volume I, Coimbra: Imprensa Academica:

     Pondo de parte os primeiros periodos estranhos á chronologia do homem, comecemos a determinar em rapido esboço, as relações geologicas e paleontologicas a partir da épocha terciaria.

     Putting aside the first periods irrelevant to man’s chronology, we shall start to determine in a quick sketch, the geological and paleontological relations after the tertiary period.

   • 1927, Boletim Da Sociedade de Geographia Do Rio de Janeiro‎^[4], volume XXXI, Rio de Janeiro:

     Observa o eminente professor patricio Dr. Backheuser, em um seu trabalho recentemente publicado, que as civilizações depois de existirem em épochas mui remotas nas regiões tropicaes, foram se trasladando para as regiões temperadas […]

     The eminent patrician professor Dr. Backheuser observes, in one of his recently published works, that civilizations, after existing in very distant times in tropical regions, started migrating to temperate regions.

Usage notes

The spelling of this word varied greatly between authors: the spelling epoca was frequently seen, as well the spellings épocha and época, with explanatory accents in a time when accents were rarely used.