tristeza

Forms

tristeza f (plural tristezas)^[1] Old forms are tresteza (14th–15th century), tristeça in a cantiga, and tristiza (15th century).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin trīstitia (“sadness, gloom”), written Old Galician-Portuguese tristeza in the oldest texts.^[2][4][5][1] A Galician glossary notes that it could also have been formed on triste, and Wiktionary analyses it on the surface as the adjective with the suffix -eza.^[3][1]

The REW lists under the Latin word Galician tristeza, Spanish tristeza, Catalan tristesa, Occitan tristesa, Italian tristezza and French tristesse.^[6] Wiktionary takes the French word as a formation on triste, modelled on the Latin one.^[1]

The Latin noun is formed from trīstis (“sad, gloomy”) with the suffix -itia.^[7][1] De Vaan finds no good etymology for the adjective: a proposed link with Old English þrīste (“audacious”) fails on the sound changes.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Cantigas de Santa Maria pray to be kept que nos de tristezas / guard' e de coitas “that she may keep us from sadness and sorrow”, and the troubadour Fernand' Esquio writes da ssa tristeça ouu' eu tal pesar “I felt such grief at her sadness”.^[3] The Crónica Troiana has tan grand era o pesar et a tristeza en todos que non auia mesura “so great was the grief and sadness in everyone that there was no measure to it”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The medieval senses are those of today: sadness as a feeling and as a state.^[3] Bluteau (1721) defines it in scholastic terms as an act of the will that shrinks from a present evil without the strength to resist it, and his book of synonyms pairs it with melancholy and hypochondria, “the greatest enemy of health”.^[9] Houaiss and the dictionaries add the quality of what causes sadness and a moment or period of gloom.^[2][10]

In Brazil tristeza is a popular name for babesiosis, a tick-borne disease of cattle; in Rio Grande do Sul it is recorded for piroplasmosis.^[2][11][12] Wiktionary also lists it as the name of a plant disease.^[1]

Timeline

• 13th century – tristezas in the Cantigas de Santa Maria.^[3][4]
• 1344 – the Chronicle of 1344 speaks of a tristeza e pesar of the host for its lord.^[3]
• 14th–15th century – spelt tresteza.^[3][2]
• 1416 – the Vida de Santo Aleixo Confessor (witness of 1416).^[13]
• 1569 – Cardoso's dictionary renders it with Latin maeror.^[14]
• 1721 – Bluteau's long philosophical definition.^[9]
• 1871–1874 – Vieira defines it in opposition to alegria “joy”.^[15]

Meanings

Noun

1. sadness: the quality or state of being sad; lack of joy, melancholy (melancolia): Uma grande tristeza tomou conta dela.^[2][11][1]
2. The quality of what makes one sad: a tristeza daquela paisagem.^[2][10]
3. dejection, lack of spirit; grief, mágoa.^[2][16]
4. A look or expression that shows sorrow.^[11][10]
5. A sad moment or event: as tristezas da vida.^[2][1]
6. (veterinary, Brazil) babesiosis, a disease of cattle.^[2][11][12]

Related words

• entristecer
• triste
• tristonho
• tristura
• Latin trīstitia
• Spanish tristeza

Usage notes

The proverb tristezas não pagam dívidas “sadness pays no debts” advises against giving in to one's troubles.^[17] Aurélio gives tristura as a less common synonym.^[11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. tristeza
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Instituto da Lingua Galega, Dicionario de dicionarios do galego medieval (DDGM), ed. Ernesto González Seoane, Santiago de Compostela: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, https://ilg.usc.gal/ddgm, p. s.v. tristeza
4. ^ a b Cunha, Antônio Geraldo da (2010), Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa, 4th ed., Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, p. s.v. triste
5. ^ Nascentes, Antenor (1966), Dicionário etimológico resumido, Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Nacional do Livro, p. s.v. tristeza
6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 8919
7. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. s.v. tristitia
8. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
9. ^ a b Bluteau, Raphael (1712–1728), Vocabulario portuguez e latino, 8 vols. + 2 supplement vols., Coimbra / Lisboa (CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. tristeza
10. ^ a b c Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, revised online edition (2023–) of the Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa Contemporânea (2001), https://dicionario.acad-ciencias.pt, p. s.v. tristeza
11. ^ a b c d e Ferreira, Aurélio Buarque de Holanda, Novo dicionário Aurélio da língua portuguesa, digital edition, p. s.v. tristeza
12. ^ a b Schlee, Aldyr Garcia (2019), Dicionário da Cultura Pampeana Sul-Rio-Grandense, 2 vols., Pelotas: Fructos do Paiz, p. s.v. tristeza
13. ^ Centro de Linguística da Universidade de Lisboa, CTA – Corpus de Textos Antigos, https://teitok.clul.ul.pt/cta, p. s.v. tristeza
14. ^ Cardoso, Jerónimo (1569–1570), Dictionarium ex lusitanico in latinum sermonem, Lisboa: João Álvares (CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. tristeza
15. ^ Vieira, Frei Domingos (1871–1874), Grande Diccionario Portuguez ou Thesouro da lingua portugueza, 5 vols., Porto: Ernesto Chardron e Bartholomeu H. de Moraes, p. 5, 826
16. ^ Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa, Lisboa: Priberam Informática, https://dicionario.priberam.org, p. s.v. tristeza
17. ^ Michaelis: Moderno Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, São Paulo: Melhoramentos (online as Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa, https://michaelis.uol.com.br), p. s.v. tristeza