Gothic
Meanings
- An extinct Germanic language, once spoken by the Goths.
- Certain moths of the family Noctuidae.
- A particular species of moth of the family Noctuidae, Naenia typica.
- Of or relating to the Goths or their language.
- Barbarous, rude, unpolished, belonging to the “Dark Ages”, medieval as opposed to classical.
- Of or relating to the architectural style favored in Western Europe in the 12th to 16th centuries, with high-pointed arches, clustered columns, etc.
- Of or relating to the style of fictional writing associated with Gothic fiction, emphasizing violent or macabre events in a mysterious, desolate setting.
- Synonym of black letter.
- Of a sans serif typeface using straight, even-width lines, also known as grotesque or lineal.
- Of or relating to the goth subculture, music or lifestyle.
- A novel written in the Gothic style.
- Alternative letter-case form of Gothic.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
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.