Plutarchian

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to Plutarch, the ancient Greek biographer and moralist, or to the style and ideas of his writings
2. Characteristic of the Greek writer Plutarch, especially his moral essays and parallel biographies of famous figures
3. Of or belonging to Plutarch, the Greek author of the Parallel Lives, or resembling the manner of his work

Etymology: Plutarch was a Greek writer of the first and second centuries CE, best known for his "Parallel Lives" of famous Greeks and Romans and his wide-ranging "Moralia." The adjective "Plutarchian" is simply his name with the suffix "-ian," which English uses to form adjectives meaning "relating to" or "in the manner of" a person or place. So the word means relating to Plutarch or his writings, and it is a straightforward formation rather than a coinage with a story behind it. The suffix itself has a long pedigree. It comes from Latin "-ianus," itself built from "-ius" and "-anus," and it reached English largely through French and Latin-derived vocabulary. English has used it to create countless adjectives from proper names, such as "Shakespearean," "Darwinian," and "Victorian," and "Plutarchian" follows the same pattern.