tetricus

Latin

Alternative forms

taetricus

Etymology

Unknown.[1] The hypothesis presented by Lewis and Short that it is from taeter (“foul, repulsive”) implies monophthongization of an original diphthong ae to the long vowel ē, but in conflict with this, the first syllable is found scanned as a short in Ovid and Martial. If short ĕ is original, then the spelling with ae must have arisen from the later confusion of short ĕ with ae.

Pronunciation

If the vowel was short (as required by some occurrences in verse):

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈte.tri.kus/, [ˈt̪ɛt̪rɪkʊs̠] or IPA^(key): /ˈtet.ri.kus/, [ˈt̪ɛt̪rɪkʊs̠]

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

If the vowel was long:

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈteː.tri.kus/, [ˈt̪eːt̪rɪkʊs̠]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈte.tri.kus/, [ˈt̪ɛːt̪rikus]

Adjective

tē̆tricus (feminine tē̆trica, neuter tē̆tricum); first/second-declension adjective

forbidding, harsh, crabbed, gloomy, sour, stern, severe
- 16 BCE, Ovid, Amores 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

First/second-declension adjective.

Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Number	Singular			Plural
Nominative	tē̆tricus	tē̆trica	tē̆tricum	tē̆tricī	tē̆tricae	tē̆trica
Genitive	tē̆tricī	tē̆tricae	tē̆tricī	tē̆tricōrum	tē̆tricārum	tē̆tricōrum
Dative	tē̆tricō	tē̆tricae	tē̆tricō	tē̆tricīs
Accusative	tē̆tricum	tē̆tricam	tē̆tricum	tē̆tricōs	tē̆tricās	tē̆trica
Ablative	tē̆tricō	tē̆tricā	tē̆tricō	tē̆tricīs
Vocative	tē̆trice	tē̆trica	tē̆tricum	tē̆tricī	tē̆tricae	tē̆trica

Synonyms

Descendants

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

References

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.