gnomic

English

Etymology

From French gnomique, ultimately from Ancient Greek γνωμικός (gnōmikós), from γνώμη (gnṓmē, “thought, judgement”), akin to γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō, “know”).

Adjective

gnomic (comparative more gnomic, superlative most gnomic)

1. Of, or relating to gnomes (sententious sayings).
   • G. R. Lewes

     a city long famous as the seat of elegiac and gnomic poetry.

   • 2013, Adam Roberts, The Riddles of The Hobbit‎^[1], Palgrave Macmillan, →ISBN, page 17:

     Old English culture was threaded through with riddles, cryptograms, gnomic verses, charms and riddling modes of speech such as litotes, just as Modern English culture is (if you will forgive me) riddled with jokes and catch-phrases, crosswords and quizzes, irony and sarcasm.

2. (of a saying or aphorism) Mysterious and often incomprehensible yet seemingly wise.

   He always makes gnomic utterances.

   • 2017 April 24, Paul Vitello, “Robert M. Pirsig, Author of ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,’ Dies at 88”, in The New York Times‎^[2], →ISSN:

     In his part gnomic, part mechanic’s style, Mr. Pirsig’s narrator declares that the real world is a seamless continuum of the material and metaphysical.

3. (grammar) Expressing general truths or aphorisms.

   gnomic aspect

Related terms

• gnome

Translations

of or relating to gnomes

mysterious and incomprehensible yet seemingly wise

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Spanish: enigmático (es)

Further reading

• Gnomic aspect on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• coming

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French gnomique.

Adjective

gnomic m or n (feminine singular gnomică, masculine plural gnomici, feminine and neuter plural gnomice)

1. gnomic

Declension

Declension of gnomic

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	gnomic		gnomică	gnomici	gnomice
	definite	gnomicul		gnomica	gnomicii	gnomicele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	gnomic		gnomice	gnomici	gnomice
	definite	gnomicului		gnomicei	gnomicilor	gnomicelor