funeral, funerall

& 8. [Low Lat. fun eralis = pertaining to a funeral: Lat. fun us (gen it. funeris )=a funeral; Sp. funeral (a. & s.); Ital. fun erale (a. & s.); Fr. funérailles =a funeral.] A. As adj .: Pertaining to or connected with the burial of the dead; as, funeral rites, funeral games, funeral service, . David lamented over Saul and Jonathan, 1056 B. C., and over Abner, 1048 B. C. (2 Sam . i. and iii.) In Greece, Solon was the first who pronounced a funeral oration, according to Hero dot us, 580 B. C. The Romans pronounced harangues over their illustrious dead. Theopompus obtained a prize for the best Funeral Oration in praise of Mausolus, 353 B. C. Popilia was the first Roman lady who had an oration pronounced at her funeral, which was done by her son, Cra us; and it is observed by Cicero that Julius Cæsar did the like for his aunt Julia and his wife Cornel i a. B. As substantive : 1. The solemnization of a burial; the ceremony of burying a human corpse; burial, interment, obsequies. (Formerly used in the plural.) 2. A proce ion of persons attending the burial of any person. *3. Burial, interment, grave. *4. Death. *5. A funeral sermon or oration. (Frequently in the plural.) Crabb thus discriminates between funeral and obsequies : "We speak of the funeral as the last sad office which we perform for a friend; it is accompanied by nothing but by mourning and sorrow; we speak of the obsequies as the tribute of respect which can be paid to the person of one who was high in station or public esteem: the funeral , by its frequency, becomes so familiar an object that it pa es by unheeded; the obsequies which are performed over the remains of the great, attract our notice from the pomp and grandeur with which they are conducted." (Crabb: Eng. Synon.) *funeral-ale, s. A drinking-feast at a funeral. funeral banquet. The custom of giving a feast at funerals originated with the Romans, who not only feasted the friends of the deceased, but also distributed meat to the persons employed. funeral-cypre , s. Botany: Cupre us funebris , a weeping tree, i. e., with pendulous branches, introduced from China to be planted in cemeteries.