tetricus

Latin edit

Alternative forms edit

taetricus

Etymology edit

Unknown.^[1] The hypothesis presented by Lewis and Short that it is from taeter (“foul, repulsive”) seems to be based on the assumption that this word shows monophthongization of an original diphthong ae to the long vowel ē, but that is contradicted by a number of examples of the first syllable scanning short in poetry.

Pronunciation edit

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈte.tri.kus/, [ˈt̪ɛt̪rɪkʊs̠] or IPA^(key): /ˈtet.ri.kus/, [ˈt̪ɛt̪rɪkʊs̠]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈte.tri.kus/, [ˈt̪ɛːt̪rikus] or IPA^(key): /ˈtet.ri.kus/, [ˈt̪ɛt̪rikus]

Adjective edit

tetricus (feminine tetrica, neuter tetricum); first/second-declension adjective

forbidding, harsh, crabbed, gloomy, sour, stern, severe
- 16 BCE, Ovid, The Loves 3.3:
  Si deus ipse forem, numen sine fraude liceret
  femina mendaci falleret ore meum;
  ipse ego iurarem verum iurare puellas
  et non de tetricis dicerer esse deus.
  Translation by Christopher Marlowe
  Were I a god, I should give women leave,
  With lying lips my godhead to deceive.
  Myself would swear the wenches true did swear,
  And I would be none of the gods severe.
- 38 CE – 104 CE, Martial, Epigrammata 6.10:
  At quam non tetricus, quam nulla nubilus ira,
  Quam placido nostras legerat ore preces!
  Translation by Ruurd R. Nauta^[2]
  But how far from stern, how far from clouded by any anger, with how calm a countenance did he read my prayers!

Declension edit

First/second-declension adjective.

Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Number	Singular			Plural
Nominative	tetricus	tetrica	tetricum	tetricī	tetricae	tetrica
Genitive	tetricī	tetricae	tetricī	tetricōrum	tetricārum	tetricōrum
Dative	tetricō	tetricae	tetricō	tetricīs
Accusative	tetricum	tetricam	tetricum	tetricōs	tetricās	tetrica
Ablative	tetricō	tetricā	tetricō	tetricīs
Vocative	tetrice	tetrica	tetricum	tetricī	tetricae	tetrica

Synonyms edit

Descendants edit

→ Catalan: tètric
→ English: tetric
→ Polish: tetryk
→ Portuguese: tétrico
→ Spanish: tétrico

References edit

^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “tetricus”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 618
^ Ruurd R. Nauta (2002) Poetry for Patrons: Literary Communication in the Age of Domitian, Brill, →ISBN, page 341.