tragique

Forms

tragique (plural tragiques)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin tragicus (“of tragedy, vehement, terrible”), borrowed in 1414,^[2][3][4] itself from Ancient Greek τραγικός (tragikós, “of a goat, of tragedy”), the adjective of the word for tragédie, from τράγος (trágos, “he-goat”).^[2][4][5] Littré explains the goat by the story that a goat was the prize of the first tragic choruses in Attica;^[5] Etymonline suggests it may refer to a satyr played by a goat singer.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Laurent de Premierfait's preface to his translation of the Cent Nouvelles (1414), of poets' fables soient comiques ou tragiques “whether comic or tragic”, meaning “belonging to tragedy”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Borrowed with its ancient sense, of Greek tragedy, which the Renaissance took up again (Rabelais, 1546), the adjective changed as the genre developed in France, and was extended after Latin usage to the author (1685) and the actor (1803) of tragedies.^[3] As a noun un tragique is an author of tragedies, dated 1550 (Ronsard) by the TLFi and 1485 by Rey, and le tragique the tragic genre, dated 1623 (Chapelain) by the TLFi and 1566 by Rey.^[2][3] The 18th century named the genre of the bourgeois tragedy tragique bourgeois (1765).^[3]

The figurative sense “dire, terrible” (Ronsard, 1569), imitated from Latin, spread after the 16th century and displaced tragédieux (1553).^[3][2] The noun came to mean what is terrible in an event (le tragique de cette mort, before 1679), and gave prendre au tragique (1747) and tourner au tragique (1798).^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1414 – Laurent de Premierfait uses it of tragic fables.^[2][3]
• 1546 – Rabelais uses it in a burlesque list.^[2][7]
• 1550 – Ronsard writes of tragiques Grés “Greek tragedians”.^[2]
• 1569 – Ronsard's une tragique histoire gives the sense “dire, terrible”.^[2]
• 1623 – Chapelain uses le Tragique for the genre.^[2]
• before 1679 – Cardinal de Retz writes le tragique de cette mort.^[2]
• 1747 – Gresset uses prendre au tragique.^[2][3]
• 1798 – The Académie records tourner au tragique.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or belonging to tragedy: le genre tragique, un auteur tragique.^[8][2]
2. Showing man painfully aware of a destin or fatalité that weighs on his life.^[8]
3. Arousing intense emotion through being frightening or fatal; tragic, dire, dramatique: un accident tragique.^[8][2]

Noun

1. Le tragique: the tragic genre, or what is tragic in a situation: le tragique de leur exil.^[8][3]
2. Prendre au tragique: to take a thing too seriously, to see it in a gloomy light.^[5][2]
3. Les tragiques: the tragic poets.^[8]

Word family

• tragiquement

Related words

• tragédie
• Latin tragicus

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert