Etymologically
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tragicus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word tragicus

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
Plautus
Borrowed from
Ancient Greek τραγικός
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (τράγος)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈtra.ɡɪ.kʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtraː.d͡ʒi.kus][1]

Forms

tragicus (feminine tragica, neuter tragicum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek τραγικός (tragikós, “of tragedy”), from τράγος (trágos, “male goat”), perhaps referring to the goat-satyrs of the plays.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler lists a noun use in Plautus and the adjective from Cicero, and the OLD's earliest citation is the Rhetorica ad Herennium.[4][2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant of or belonging to tragic drama, as in Horace's carmen tragicum and Cicero's tragicus Orestēs “the Orestes of the stage”, and suitable to tragedy, lofty or tragic in style, as in Cicero.[2][5][6] As a noun it was a tragic poet or actor.[7][4]

English took tragical (late 15th century) and English tragic (1540s) on the model of Latin tragicus.[3]

Timeline

  • 86/82 BC – the Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of tragic style.[2][4]
  • 1540s – English tragic is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of tragedy, tragic.[2]
  2. Suited to tragedy, lofty; tragic.[2]

Noun

  1. A tragic poet or actor, tragedian.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Tragicus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/tragicus. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·