Fescennine, a. and n.
(ˈfɛsəˌnaɪn)
[ad. L. Fescennīn-us pertaining to Fescennia in Etruria, famous for a sort of jeering dialogues in verse.]
A. adj. esp. in Fescennine verses. Pertaining to or characteristic of Fescennia; usually in a bad sense, licentious, obscene, scurrilous.
| 1601 Holland Pliny I. 443 Wanton Fescennine ceremonies. a 1637 B. Jonson Underwoods (1640) 243 We..dare not aske our wish in Language fescennine. 1726 Amherst Terræ Fil. i. (ed. 3) 1 A merry oration in the fescennine manner. 1815 Scott Guy M. xxxvi, To repeat a certain number of Fescennine verses. 1873 Symonds Grk. Poets viii. 252 A rude Fescennine license. |
† B. n. A song or verses of a licentious or scurrilous character. Obs.
| 1621–51 Burton Anat. Mel. iii. i. i. i. 409 Menander..did..write Fescennines, Attellanes, and lascivious songs. 1660 Jer. Taylor Duct. Dubit. ii. iii. rule 5 §1, I haue seene parts of Virgil changed into impure fescennines. |