Aesopic (adj.)

1927, in the context of Soviet literary censorship; in reference to writing, "obscure or ambiguous, often allegorical, and disguising dissent;" from Aesop, the traditional father of the allegorical fable, + -ic. It translates Russian ezopovskii (1875), which arose there under the Tsars. In the empire the style was employed by Russian communists, who, once they took power, found themselves disguised in animal fables written by their own dissidents. In the sense "pertaining to the ancient Greek fable-writer Aesop," Aesopian is attested in English from 1875; it is recorded from 1950 in general reference to shrouding of real meaning to avoid censorship.

also from 1927

Entries linking to Aesopic

Aesop

Latinized form of Greek Aisopos, semi-legendary 6c. B.C.E. fablist. He was reputedly a slave, and very ugly; his stories were known to Herodotus and Aristophanes, but no direct writing of his survives.

-ic

Middle English -ik, -ick, word-forming element making adjectives, "having to do with, having the nature of, being, made of, caused by, similar to," from French -ique and directly from Latin -icus or from cognate Greek -ikos "in the manner of; pertaining to." From PIE adjective suffix *-(i)ko, which also yielded Slavic -isku, adjectival suffix indicating origin, the source of the -sky (Russian -skii) in many surnames. In chemistry, indicating a higher valence than names in -ous (first in benzoic, 1791).

In Middle English and after often spelled -ick, -ike, -ique. Variant forms in -ick (critick, ethick) were common in early Modern English and survived in English dictionaries into early 19c. This spelling was supported by Johnson but opposed by Webster, who prevailed.

Trends of Aesopic

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to Explore

matter

c. 1200, materie, "the subject of a mental act or a course of thought, speech, or expression," from Anglo-French matere, Old French matere "subject, theme, topic; substance, content; character, education" (12c., Modern French matière) and directly from Latin materia "substance fr

adjective

"word used to qualify, limit, or define a noun or noun-like part of speech," late 14c., short for noun adjective, from Old French adjectif (14c.), from Latin adjectivum "that is added to (the noun)," neuter of adjectivus "added," past participle of adicere "throw to, fling at, th

Iowa

organized as a U.S. territory 1838; admitted as a state 1846, named for the river, ultimately from the name of the native people, of the Chiwere branch of the Siouan family; said to be from Dakota ayuxba "sleepy ones," or from an Algonquian language (Bright cites Miami/Illinois /

indigenous

"born or originating in a particular place," 1640s, from Late Latin indigenus "born in a country, native," from Latin indigena "sprung from the land, native," as a noun, "a native," literally "in-born," or "born in (a place)," from Old Latin indu (prep.) "in, within" + gignere (p

security

early 15c., securite, "state or condition of being safe from danger or harm;" mid-15c., "freedom from care or anxiety" (a sense now archaic), from Old French securite and directly from Latin securitas "freedom from care," from securus "free from care" (see secure (adj.)). This fo

bolster

Old English bolster "bolster, cushion, something stuffed so that it swells up," especially "a long, stuffed pillow," from Proto-Germanic *bolkhstraz (source also of Old Norse bolstr, Danish, Swedish, Dutch bolster, German polster), from PIE *bhelgh- "to swell," extended form of r

digital

mid-15c., "pertaining to numbers below ten;" 1650s, "pertaining to fingers," from Latin digitalis, from digitus "finger or toe" (see digit). The numerical sense is because numerals under 10 were counted on fingers. Meaning "using numerical digits" is from 1938, especially of comp

oligarchy

"form of government in which supreme power is vested in a small exclusive class," 1570s, from French oligarchie (14c.), from Latinized form of Greek oligarkhia "government by the few," from stem of oligos "few, small, little" (a word of uncertain origin) + -arkhia, from arkhein "

breakfast

"first meal of the day," mid-15c., from the verbal phrase; see break (v.) + fast (n.). For vowel shift, see below. An Old English word for it was undernmete (see undern), also morgenmete "morning meal." Spanish almuerzo "lunch," but formerly and still locally "breakfast," is from

chief

c. 1300, "highest in rank or power; most important or prominent; supreme, best, placed above the rest," from Old French chief "chief, principal, first" (10c., Modern French chef), from Vulgar Latin *capum (source also of Spanish and Portuguese cabo, Italian capo, Provençal cap),

Share Aesopic

‘cite’

Page URL:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/Aesopic

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/Aesopic">Etymology of Aesopic by etymonline</a>

APA style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of Aesopic. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/Aesopic

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of Aesopic,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/Aesopic.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of Aesopic.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/Aesopic. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of Aesopic.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/Aesopic (accessed $(datetime)).

updated on September 16, 2022

Remove ads >

Dictionary entries near Aesopic

aerospace

Aeschylus

Aesculapius

Aesir

Aesop

Aesopic

aesthete

aesthetic

aestheticism

aesthetics

aet.