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Senecan

Senecan

9.9
Like the writing of the Roman thinker Seneca, with serious ideas about fate and revenge
  • adjective
  • /ˈsɛnɪkən/
  • Literature
: senecano
  • The play was written in a Senecan style, marked by rhetorical speeches and moral contemplation.

Examples

  • The tragedy employed Senecan themes of revenge and fate throughout its five acts.

  • Her Senecan attitude toward adversity reflected a deep appreciation for stoic philosophy.

  • The play had a distinctly Senecan style.

  • Her writing reflects a Senecan approach to philosophy.

  • The play was written in a Senecan style, marked by rhetorical speeches and moral contemplation.

  • Her Senecan attitude toward adversity reflected a deep appreciation for stoic philosophy.

  • The tragedy employed Senecan themes of revenge and fate throughout its five acts.

Surface Forms

Senecan positive

Morphology

Senecan = Seneca (transparent) = Seneca + an

Formed from the proper name 'Seneca' plus the productive adjectival suffix '-an', giving the predictable meaning 'relating to Seneca'.

Etymology

Senecan comes from the Roman thinker Seneca and the ending -an, which means 'related to'. So, to call something Senecan is to say it is 'like Seneca'—for example, serious, moral, and often tragic in style.