different between obscene vs fescennine

English

Etymology

From Middle French obscene (modern French obscène (“indecent, obscene”)), and from its etymon Latin obsc?nus, obscaenus (“inauspicious; ominous; disgusting, filthy; offensive, repulsive; indecent, lewd, obscene”). The further etymology is uncertain, but may be from ob- (prefix meaning ‘towards’) + caenum (“dirt, filth; mire, mud”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *?weyn- (“to make dirty, soil; filth; mud”)) or scaevus (“left, on the left side; clumsy; (figurative) unlucky”) (from Proto-Indo-European *skeh?iwo-).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?b?si?n/
• (General American) enPR: ?b-s?n?, IPA^(key): /?b?sin/
• Rhymes: -i?n
• Hyphenation: ob?scene

Adjective

obscene (comparative obscener or more obscene, superlative obscenest or most obscene) (see usage notes)

1. Offensive to current standards of decency or morality.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:obscene

   Antonyms: decent, moral, nonobscene
2. Lewd or lustful.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:obscene

   Antonyms: chaste, nonobscene, pure
3. Disgusting or repulsive.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:obscene

   Antonym: nonobscene
4. (by extension) Beyond all reason; excessive.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:excessive

   Antonyms: see Thesaurus:moderate
5. (chiefly Britain, criminal law) Liable to corrupt or deprave.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:obscene

   Antonyms: decent, nonobscene

Usage notes

• The comparative form obscener and superlative form obscenest, though formed by valid rules for English, are less common than more obscene and most obscene.
• In criminal law, many jurisdictions distinguish between the terms obscene, indecent, and profane when regulating broadcasted content, with obscene typically being the most severe of the three categories.

Alternative forms

• obscæne (obsolete)

Derived terms

• nonobscene
• obscenely
• obsceneness (rare)
• obscenometer (humorous, obsolete)

Related terms

• obscenity
• obscenous (obsolete)
• obscenousness (obsolete)

Translations

References

Further reading

• obscenity on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Latin

Adjective

obsc?ne

1. vocative masculine singular of obsc?nus

References

• obscene in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• obscene in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• obscene in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

Romanian

Adjective

obscene f pl

1. feminine plural of obscen

English

Alternative forms

• Fescennine

Etymology

From Latin Fescenn?nus, from the name of the ancient Etruscan town of Fescennia, noted for the "Fescennine Verses", a tradition of scurrilous songs performed on special occasions.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?f?s?n??n/

Adjective

fescennine (comparative more fescennine, superlative most fescennine)

1. Obscene or scurrilous.
   • 1988, James D. Simmonds, Milton Studies, Volume 6, University of Pittsburgh Press, p.168

     As the poet decorously shows his desire to consummate the marriage, he retains the fescennine element without being crude.

   • 1995, John Donne & Gary A. Stringer, The variorum edition of the poetry of John Donne: The Epigrams, Epithalamions, Epitaphs, Inscriptions and Miscellaneous poems, Indiana University Press, pp.380-1

     The conventional complaint over the delay in the proceedings is voiced by the poet in […] [this] series of questions which include fescennine teasing of the bridal couple

   • 2003, Mark Steven Morton, The Lover's Tongue: A Merry Romp Through the Language of Love and Sex, Insomniac Press, p.25

     For instance, I admit that this book is anacreontic, paphian, and sometimes even fescennine […]

Translations

References

Italian

Adjective

fescennine

1. feminine plural of fescennino