Some misunderstandings in comparative approaches to literature have been due to semantic variations of etymologically identical terms in different languages. Among congruous literary terms romantic is nearest to being a literary term by origin. To illustrate its growing oomplexity the author points out some amplifica- tions and shifts of meaning. A special problem are the two divergent uses of romantic, either as referring to a definite literary period, or to an almost timeless stylistic category. When the term is taken over into another language its complex meaning is usually restricted to the notions dominant in the respective period and the specific literary situation of the borrowing language, while in the language borrowed from the term implies many eartlier meaniings. Comparative amalyses of »identical« terms from that point of view might contribute to a more precise definition of some rather vague, misleading, but unavoidable terms in literary use.
