gothic
UK[ˈɡɒθɪk]US[ˈɡɑːθɪk]
adj
Relating to the Goths or their extinct East Germanic language.
adj
Of or in the style of architecture prevalent in western Europe in the 12th–16th centuries, characterized by pointed arches, rib vaults, and flying buttresses.
adj
Belonging to or redolent of the Dark Ages; portentously gloomy or horrifying.
adj
(of type) in a heavy, ornate, black-letter style.
n
The extinct language of the Goths.
n
The Gothic style of architecture.
n
Gothic type.
Etymology
The word 'Gothic' originates from Late Latin 'Gothicus', which derives from the tribal name 'Gothi' (the Goths). The Goths were an East Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire. During the Renaissance, Italian scholars, viewing the preceding medieval period as a time of barbarism, disparagingly attributed its characteristic architecture to the Goths, thus giving rise to the term 'Gothic architecture'. This association with the medieval and the barbarous later evolved into the modern senses relating to gloom, horror, and the macabre.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form derived from the name of a people. It cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller morphemes based on its current English spelling without losing its core historical identity.
Examples
The novel is a classic example of Gothic literature, full of dark castles and mysterious occurrences.
The cathedral is a magnificent specimen of French Gothic architecture.
She decorated her room in a Gothic style, with black velvet and silver accents.