Word: homage (noun)

Associations

"Homage" means respect or honor shown publicly to someone or something. It is often used when you want to show admiration or recognize the importance of a person, idea, or work.

• Example 1: The artist paid homage to her teacher by painting a portrait of him. (Showing respect to the teacher.)
• Example 2: The movie is an homage to classic films from the 1950s. (The movie honors or is inspired by old films.)
• Example 3: During the ceremony, they paid homage to the soldiers who fought bravely. (Respect shown to soldiers.)

Synonym: "tribute" is a common synonym. The difference is that "homage" often has a formal or traditional tone, while "tribute" can be more general or casual.

Substitution

You can replace "homage" with:

• tribute (less formal, more general)
• respect (more direct, less formal)
• honor (similar meaning, can be used in formal contexts) Using "tribute" might make the sentence feel more emotional, while "homage" feels more formal or artistic.

Deconstruction

"Homage" comes from Old French "hommage," which originally meant the formal acknowledgment of loyalty by a vassal to a lord in medieval times. The root is related to "homme" (man), meaning a man’s duty or respect to his lord. Over time, it came to mean any respectful acknowledgment.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a person or thing you admire and want to pay homage to? How would you show it?
• How is paying homage different from just saying "thank you"?
• In what situations would it be important to pay homage publicly? Why?