Middle English Dictionary Entry
traǧedī(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | traǧedī(e n. Also tragidie, trajedi, targedie, tregedi(e, trejadie, trejardi, treajde, tre(j)de & tragetrie, tregedrie, tregetrie, trejedrie & (errors) traladie, tegedie, tegrede, tegerte; pl. tragedies, etc. & tragedeis, tragidẹ̄s, tregedise, (error) tegredis. |
| Etymology | OF tragedie, tregedie & L tragoedia, ML tragedia; forms with -rīe prob. influenced by ME trecherī(e n. (cp. quot. c1440 in sense 2.(a)) or perh. treǧetrīe n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A literary work the subject of which is the hero's fall from prosperity into irremediable adversity; also, a sad, solemn, or edifying story; also person. [quot. a1420, 2nd]; (b) a tormented condition; (c) = tragedien n.; (d) deception, trickery; — ?error for tregetrie n.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3951 : Hanged was Cresus..Tragedies [vrr. Tegredis, Tegedie is] noon oother manere thyng Ne kan in syngyng crye ne biwaille But that fortune alwey wole assaille..the regnes that been proude.
- (?c1375-a1390) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3648 : Thus ended is this myghty Erl of Pize; From heigh estat fortune awey hym carf; Of this tragedie [vrr. tragetrie, tregetrye, tegrede, tegerte, treiedrye] it oghte ynogh suffise.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3161 : I wol yow seyn the lyf of seint Edward Or ellis first tragedies [vrr. tragedeis, tregedies, Tregedise, tregedys] wol I telle, Of whiche I haue an hundred in my celle.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3163 : Tragedie [vr. Trede] is to seyn a certeyn storie..Of hym that stood in greet prosperitee And is yfallen out of heigh degree In to myserie and endeth wrecchedly, And they been versified comunly Of sixe feet..In prose eek been endited many oon.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.3973 : Of a tragedie [vrr. tregedrye, treiardy, treiadie, treaide, treide] Right now ye herde..and als it is a peyne As ye han seyd to heere of heuynesse; Sire monk, namoore of this.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.852 : Tragidie..begynneth in prosperite And endeth euer in aduersite; And it also doth þe conquest trete Of riche kynges and of lordys grete.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.5440 : It syt hem [Muses] nouȝt for to help in wo, Nor with maters þat be with mournynge shent, As tragedies, al to-tore and rent, In compleynynge pitously in rage.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)994 : Ȝe may reden in a Tragedye Of Moral Senyk fully his endynge, His dool..How with sorow..This Edippus fille into dotage.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1786 : Go, litel bok, go, litel myn tragedye [vrr. Targedye, tregeedie], Ther God..So sende myght to make in some comedye!
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.2.70 : Tragedye is to seyn a dite of a prosperite for a tyme that endeth in wrecchidnesse.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)8/12 : It spedeth þat a leche kunne talke of gode talez and of honest that may make þe pacientes to laugh, as wele of the biblee as of other tragediez.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.2557 : The processe tolde, I holde it wer but veyn Therof to write a newe tragedie.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Miseric.(Hrl 2255)65 : At funeral feestys men synge tragedies With wooful ditees of lamentacioun.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.MRose (Hrl 2255)85 : Wher is Tullius, with his sugryd tonge, Or..The tragedyes [vr. tragides] divers and vnkouth Of moral Senek, the mysteryes to vncloose?
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)64/20 : Erippides..said vnto theim..whiche prayde him that he wolde put oute a sentence of a tragedie that he had made (tragedie, Valere seithe, it is a maner of a ditee that blameth thyngis that be euyll done in ordre of policie of the comonte or of prynces) and said he made..his ditees..to that entent, that it sholde induce and stere men to good leuyng.
- a1500 Chartier Dial.F.&F.(Sion Arc.L.40.2/E.43)1/33 : The tragedye [Seneca's Hercules Furens] cryeth, 'Why lyst the goddes not to suffre the peple to lyue ioyfully, for lyfe hasteth hymself by hys course assigned?'
- c1550(a1467) Musyng vppon (Rwl C.813)10 : Wee nede not nowe to seke the croniclez olde off the romans, nor bockas tragedye, to rede the ruyen & fallys manyffolde off prynces grett putt to dethe & miserye In sondrye landes.
b
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)68/2001 : Leuyr had y hastily forto dy Than langwysshe in þis karfulle tragedy, In payne, sorowe, and woofulle aventure.
c
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)40/8 : In þis tyme lyued þese too poetes, Sophodes and Euripides, þat were cleped tragedies; Trajedi is as mech to sey as he þat writith eld stories with ditees heuy and sorowful.
- a1500 Walton Boeth.(StJ-C G.29)p.152 : Traladie [Lin-C: a traiadien in his ditee Noght causeles þus cryeth].
d
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)343 : Of..deceptis moche can y reporte, But I darre not, lest I gife comforte To suche as be disposide to tregedie.