Hmmm... "expocicion" Exposition = exegesis, explanation, elucidation, disclosure, and, of course, commentary. :) English has borrowed from every other language it has bumped up against. Sometimes we keep the original meaning, and sometimes we alter it. Those of us with decent vocabularies usually recognize these words and do a quick mental translation. (If memory fails, there is always recourse to a dictionary.) "Exposition" is mostly used currently to describe shows and othr visual events. This can be a World's Fair, a gem show at the local hotel lobby, or a museum exhibition as long as more than just the finished work is displayed. For example, an exposition on alchemy shouldn't just show a lump of gold, but also the equipment and process which guides the transmutation. It is infrequently used to describe a piece of writing: the shorter snazzier term "expose'" (this computer doesn't have accents, sorry) is favored, although that carries the meaning of scandals revealed rather than history laid out to be examined. In 8th grade speech class, we learned and practiced the different types of speeches, including "expository". Rhetoric was part of the trivium for a thousand years, but has fallen victim to budget cuts (especially Prop 13 here in California). Students now learn grammatical forms of expression from television because they certainly aren't getting it in the schools. Carolly