travesty English · revision 1246

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈtɹæv.ɪs.ti/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from an obsolete adjective ''travesty'' “disguised, burlesqued”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) [[der|fr|travesti]], the past participle of ''travestir'' “to disguise”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|it|travestire]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''tra-'' “across” (Latin ''trāns-'') and [[la|vestīre|t=to clothe]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) It is related to [[vest]] and [[transvestite]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A burlesque treatment of a serious literary work (1674).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Century Dictionary, cited by Etymonline, distinguishes a travesty, which keeps the characters and subject but makes the language absurd, from a parody, which imitates the style with different subject matter.^(Etymonline) In theatre the word also meant a change of dress, especially into clothing of the opposite sex (1732).^(OED 1989) The extended sense of a debased likeness, as in ''a travesty of justice'', is now the most common.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * about 1662 – adjective, burlesqued.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1673 – verb, to ridicule by burlesque.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1674 – noun, a burlesque of a serious work.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1732 – a disguise, especially cross-dressing on stage.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A grotesque or debased imitation or likeness, as in ''a travesty of justice''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An exaggerated or grotesque imitation of a serious work; a [[parody]] or [[burlesque]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To make a travesty of; to parody or ridicule.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[transvestite]]

+ * [[vest]]

+ * [[parody]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House refers to ''burlesque'' for a discussion and gives ''mockery'', ''perversion'', ''sham'' and ''distortion'' as synonyms.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}