Question

vatic adjective Some people say only thin lines separate poetry, prophecy, and madness. We don't know if that's generally true, but it is in the case of "vatic." The adjective derives directly from the Latin word "vates," meaning "seer" or "prophet." But that Latin root is in turn distantly related to an Old English word for "poetry," an Old High German word for "madness," and an Old Irish word for "seer" or "poet." : prophetic, oracular

Accepted Answer

March 20, 2009 VAT-ik The vatic voice of these poems, untempered by humor or irony, sounds more pretentious than profound.

Word	vatic
Date	March 20, 2009
Type	adjective
Syllables	VAT-ik
Etymology	Some people say only thin lines separate poetry, prophecy, and madness. We don't know if that's generally true, but it is in the case of "vatic." The adjective derives directly from the Latin word "vates," meaning "seer" or "prophet." But that Latin root is in turn distantly related to an Old English word for "poetry," an Old High German word for "madness," and an Old Irish word for "seer" or "poet."
Examples	The vatic voice of these poems, untempered by humor or irony, sounds more pretentious than profound.
Definition	: prophetic, oracular

Word Vatic Adjective Latin Seer March Vat Ik People