tragoedia

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [traˈɡoe̯.di.a]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [traˈd͡ʒɛː.di.a]^[1]

Forms

tragoedia f (genitive tragoediae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek τραγῳδία (tragōidía, “tragedy”),^[2][3][1] literally “goat song”, from τράγος (trágos, “he-goat”) and ᾠδή (ōidḗ, “song”).^[1][4] Beekes takes trágos as “gnawer” and the compound as modelled on Ancient Greek ῥαψῳδός (rhapsōidós, “rhapsode”), and the reason for the goat is uncertain.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in the prologue of Plautus' Amphitruo, which plays on the word tragedy and the coinage tragicomoedia.^[5][6] Köbler dates it from Cicero.^[7]

Semantic evolution

The word meant a tragedy, a play, and the art of tragedy, which Horace calls the “stern Muse” and Ovid personifies.^[2][5] Figuratively it meant a mock-tragic performance or a scene of great commotion, and in the plural histrionics or high-flown language, as in Cicero's neque istis tragoediis tuis perturbor “I am not upset by your heroics”.^[2][8] Quintilian warns against stirring up tragoediae in small lawsuits.^[5]

In Neo-Latin it also meant a misfortune or calamity.^[9] Through French it gave English tragedy in the late 14th century.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus jokes about tragedy and comedy in the Amphitruo.^[5][7]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it for tragedies and for histrionics.^[2][7]
• 65–8 BC – Horace speaks of the Muse of tragedy.^[2][7]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it for overblown pathos in court.^[5][7]
• late 14th century – Through French it gives English tragedy.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A tragedy (play); the art of tragedy.^[2][5]
2. (figurative) A mock-tragic scene; a commotion, (plural) histrionics, high-flown language.^[2][8]
3. (New Latin) A misfortune.^[9]

Word family

• tragicōmoedia

Related words

• English tragedy

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
9. ^ a b Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de