senatne

A 19th-century neologism, from sens (“ancient”) +‎ -atne (or perhaps from the adverb sen, q.v.), coined in 1869 by A. Kronvalds, following the pattern of jauns (“new”), jaunatne (“youth”) (originally “recent times”). Kronvalds also used the word senība in the same sense, which he had either heard from a dialect (it is attested as a dialectal term) or then created independently, following the example of Lithuanian senýbė. Only senatne remained in the standard literary language.^[1]

senatne f (5th declension)

1. antiquity, ancient times, distant past

   tautas senatne ― a people's distant past

   senatnes pieminekļi ― ancient monuments (lit. monuments of antiquity)

   sirma senatne ― high (lit. gray) antiquity

   tālā senatne ― distant antiquity

• (dialectal term) senība

• sencis