gnomic

adj

Etymology: From French gnomique, ultimately from Ancient Greek γνωμικός (gnōmikós), from γνώμη (gnṓmē, “thought, judgement”), akin to γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō, “know”). By surface analysis, gnome + -ic.

1. Of, or relating to gnomes (sententious sayings).

   “His birth-place was Colophon, an Ionian city of Asia-Minor; a city long famous as the seat of elegiac and gnomic poetry, and ranking the poet Minmermus amongst its celebrated men.”

   “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. Mysterious and often incomprehensible yet seemingly wise.

   “He always makes gnomic utterances.”

   “The gnomic belief that the world is conditioned by love is no idle apothegm.”

3. Expressing general truths or aphorisms.

   “gnomic aspect”