Gothic language Extinct Germanic language spoken by the Goths. Its records antedate those of other Germanic languages by about four cen¬ turies. Best known from a translation of the Bible into Gothic in ad 350, it died out among the Ostrogoths after the fall of their kingdom in Italy in the 6th century and among the Visigoths around the time of the Arab
conquest in 711. It persisted longer in the Crimea, where a form of Gothic was spoken as late as the 16th century.
gothic novel European Romantic, pseudo-medieval fiction with a pre¬ vailing atmosphere of mystery and terror. Such novels were often set in castles or monasteries equipped with subterranean passages, dark battle¬ ments, and hidden panels, and they had plots involving ghosts, madness, outrage, superstition, and revenge. Horace Walpole’s Castle of Otranto (1765) initiated the vogue, which peaked in the 1790s. Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) and The Italian (1797) are among the finest examples. Matthew Gregory Lewis’s The Monk (1796) introduced more horrific elements into the English gothic. Gothic traits appear in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) and in the works of many major writers, and they persist today in thousands of paperback romances.
Gothic Revival Architectural movement (c. 1730-c. 1930) most com¬ monly associated with Romanticism. The first nostalgic imitation of Gothic architecture appeared in the 1 8th century, when scores of houses with castle-style battlements were built in England, but only toward the mid-19th century did a true Gothic Revival develop. The mere imitation of Gothic forms and details then became its least important aspect, as architects focused on creating original works based on underlying Gothic principles. French architects, particularly E.-E. Viollet-le-Duc, were the first to think about applying the Gothic skeleton structure to a modern age. Though the movement began losing force toward the end of the cen¬ tury, Gothic-style churches and collegiate buildings continued to be con¬ structed in Britain and the U.S. well into the 20th century.
Gothic script See black letter script
Gotland Island (pop., 2002 est.: 57,458) and county, southeastern Swe¬ den. Located in the Baltic Sea, it covers 1,212 sq mi (3,140 sq km). A trading centre since the Bronze Age, Gotland became part of Sweden in the 9th century. By the 12th century Gotland’s traders dominated the routes between Russia and western Europe. German merchants, who settled in the major town and current county capital, Visby, brought Got¬ land into the Hanseatic League. It was at the height of its prosperity when it was taken by the Danish in 1361. It was finally returned to Sweden in 1645 and was fortified in the late 19th century. The island’s economy centres on agriculture, fishing, and tourism.
Goto Vgo-.toV Islands Japanese Goto-retto Island chain, China Sea, part of Nagasake prefecture, Japan. Lying off the western coast of Japan, the chain comprises more than 100 islands, of which 34 are inhabited. The five main ones are Fukue, Hisaka, Naru, Uku, and Nakadori; the capital is Fukue, on Fukue Island. They have a total area of 266 sq mi (689 sq km), stretching about 60 mi (100 km) from northeast to south¬ west. The islands were a gateway to Japan for the introduction of Chi¬ nese culture. Fishing is the major activity in the northern islands; agriculture predominates in the southern islands.
gotra Vgo-troX Lineage segment within an Indian caste, indicating com¬ mon descent from a mythical ancestor. Marriage by members of the same gotra was traditionally prohibited. The custom was intended to prevent inbreeding as well as to broaden the influence of each gotra through mar¬ riage alliances. The term originally denoted segments of the Brahman caste descended from seven ancient seers. The number of Brahman gotras later increased, and some non-Brahman Hindu groups also established gotras.
Gottfried von Strassburg
Vgot-.fret-fon-'shtras-.burkV (fl. c.
1210) German poet, one of the great¬ est of the Middle Ages. Little is known of his life. His courtly epic Tristan und Isolde (c. 1210) is the classic version of the famous love story. The unfinished poem is based on an Anglo-Norman version of the story, which came from Celtic leg¬ end. One of the most perfect cre¬ ations of the medieval courtly spirit, it is distinguished by its refined and elevated tone and its skillful tech¬ nique.
Gottfried von Strassburg (right of cen¬ tre), miniature from the Heidelberger Liederhandschrift; in the Universitats- bibliothek, Heidelberg, Ger.
COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITATSBIBUOTHEK, HEIDELBERG, GER
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
784 I Gottingen ► gourami
Gottingen Ygce-tiq-anX, University of German Georg-August- Universitat zu Gottingen Eminent European university, founded in 1737 in Gottingen, Germany. It was one of the first and most influential secular universities. In the late 18th century it was the centre of the Got- tinger Hain, a circle of poets who were forerunners of German Roman¬ ticism. In the late 19th century its Mathematical Institute, headed at various times by Carl Friedrich Gauss, Bernhard Riemann, and David Hilbert, attracted students from all over the world. In the 20th century its physics faculty included Max Born, Werner Heisenberg, and Max von Laue.
Gottschalk Vgat-.shokA, Louis Moreau (b. May 8, 1829, New Orleans, La., U.S.—d. Dec. 18, 1869, Rio de Janeiro, Braz.) U.S. com¬ poser and pianist. He was exposed early to the music of New Orleans’s Caribbean and Latin American population. Sent to France at age 13 to study music, he quickly became known throughout Europe as a piano vir¬ tuoso and a composer of exotic piano works. He returned in 1853 and toured the U.S., West Indies, and South America. Though he wrote operas and symphonies, he is known for his more than 200 piano pieces, includ¬ ing La Bamboula, Le Bananier, Le Banjo , L’Union, and The Dying Poet. Gottschalk was the first American pianist to achieve international recog¬ nition and the first American composer to employ Latin American and Creole folk themes and rhythms.
Gottwald Vgot-.valdV Klement (b. Nov. 23, 1896, Dedice, Moravia, Austria-Hungary—d. March 14, 1953, Prague, Czech.) Czechoslovak communist politician and journalist. A charter member of Czechoslova¬ kia’s Communist Party (1921), he became its leader in 1927 and a mem¬ ber of the Czechoslovak parliament in 1929. Opposed to the Munich agreement, he lived in Moscow through World War II, making several broadcasts to the Czechoslovak underground. After the war, he was appointed deputy premier (1945—46), then premier (1946-48). Inaugu¬ rated as president in 1948 after Edvard Benes’s resignation, he quickly consolidated his position, purging rivals and adopting a Stalinist model of government, and served until his death.
gouache \'gwash\ Opaque watercolour. Also known as poster paint, designer’s colour, and body colour, it differs from transparent waterco¬ lour in that the pigments are bound by liquid glue, which is used as a thinner. The addition of white pigment lightens the tone and lends opac¬ ity. Gouache paints dry to a matte finish and, if desired, without visible brush marks. They can be applied thinly or thickly. A wide range of colours are available, including fluorescent and metallic pigments. The suede finish and crisp lines characteristic of many Indian and Islamic miniature paintings is produced by this medium; it is used in Western screen and fan decoration and was used by modem artists such as Georges Rouault and Paul Klee.
Goulart \gii-'lart\, Joao (Belchior Marques) (b. March 1, 1918, Sao Borja, Braz.—d. Dec. 6, 1976, Corrientes province, Arg.) Reformist president of Brazil (1961-64). Son of a wealthy rancher, he earned a law degree and became a protege of Pres. Getulio Vargas, in whose admin¬ istration he served as minister of labour, industry, and commerce. Elected vice president (1956-61), he became president when Pres. Janio Quadros resigned. He undertook a program of radical reforms, winning passage of a law limiting the amount of profits that foreign companies could export. He attempted land reform but was unable to secure majority support for his legislative program. Inflation reached alarming proportions, the cost of living tripling. He was ousted by the military in 1964 and died in exile.