Hisperic style
Hisperic style, a style of Latin writing that probably originated in the British Isles in the 7th century. It is characterized by extreme obscurity intentionally produced by periphrasis (preference for a longer phrase over a shorter, equally adequate phrase), coinage of new words, and very liberal use of loanwords to express quite ordinary meanings. The style takes its name from the Hisperica famina (“Hisperic Sayings”), a work probably composed in Ireland in the mid-7th century.
The word is from the Medieval Latin Hispericus (an alteration of Hespericus), “Western” or “Latin,” hence probably meaning (in reference to Latin style) “urbane” or “elegant.”
Citation Information
Article Title:
Hisperic style
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
01 September 1999
Access Date:
February 22, 2025