Art & MusicGreek → English
Tragedy
A serious drama with an unhappy ending.
The Greek roots
τράγος
trágos
goat
ᾠδή
ōidḗ
song
Literally: “goat-song”
The story of the word
Curiously, 'goat-song' — perhaps for a goat offered as prize or sacrifice at the early dramatic contests.
The same roots elsewhere
Other languages reached for exactly the same Greek pieces.
In a sentence
The play is a tragedy in the classical mould.