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Gothic

got·hic

UK/ˈɡɒθ.ɪk/ US/ˈɡɑ.θɪk/ uncommon us
adjective (5) noun (3)

adjective

1.
2.

of or relating to the language of the ancient Goths

  • “the Gothic Bible translation”
3.

of or relating to the Goths

  • “Gothic migrations”
4.

as if belonging to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned and unenlightened

  • “a medieval attitude toward dating”
Synonyms
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5.

characterized by gloom and mystery and the grotesque

  • “gothic novels like”
  • “'”
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noun

1.

extinct East Germanic language of the ancient Goths; the only surviving record being fragments of a 4th-century translation of the Bible by Bishop Ulfilas

2.

a heavy typeface in use from 15th to 18th centuries

Synonyms
3.

a style of architecture developed in northern France that spread throughout Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries; characterized by slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses and by vaulting and pointed arches

Synonyms

Origin

From Late Latin gothicus (“Gothic, barbaric”), from Ancient Greek Γοτθικός (Gotthikós), from Ancient Greek Γότθοι (Gótthoi, “Goths”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”), proposed to derive from unattested Gothic *𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌰 (*guta). Equivalent to Goth + -ic. The various usages of the adjective are introduced nearly simultaneously in the first half of the 17th century. The literal meaning “of the Goths” is found in the 1611 preface of the King James Bible, in reference to the Gothicke tongue. The generalized meaning of “Germanic, Teutonic” appears in the 1640s. Reference to the medieval period in Western Europe, and specifically the architecture of that period (“barbaric style”, initially a term of abuse), also appears in the 1640s, as does reference to “Gothic characters” or “Gothic letters” in typography.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.