Gongorist

9.9

A writer who uses a very decorative, complicated style like the Spanish poet Góngora

noun
/ˈɡɒŋɡərɪst/

Literature

: gongorista

The poet, once a fierce Gongorist, eventually adopted a simpler and more direct style.

Examples

Her early works show the influence of Gongorist aesthetics in both form and language.
Many critics found the Gongorist approach unnecessarily convoluted and obscure.
The Gongorist style is known for its complexity.
Many Gongorists were influential during the Baroque period.
The poet's latest collection illustrates his Gongorist tendencies through intricate imagery and elaborate metaphors.
As a Gongorist, she often experimented with rich vocabulary and complex sentence structures in her poetry.
His reputation as a Gongorist earned him both admiration and criticism among contemporary literary circles.

Surface Forms

Gongorist singular

Gongorists plural

Morphology

Gongorist = Gongora (semi-transparent) = Gongora + ist

Formed by the productive English suffix '-ist' meaning 'follower' added to the proper name Gongora; the morphological process is clear but understanding requires knowledge of the poet and his style.

Etymology

Gongorist comes from the Spanish poet Góngora and the common English ending -ist (as in artist) meaning 'one who does or follows'. It names a writer who copies Góngora's very fancy and complex style, so the origin explains why the word means a follower of that ornate way of writing.