tetricus

• taetricus

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.

• (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]

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

1. 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!

First/second-declension adjective.

• sevērus
• trīstis

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

• “taetricus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• taetricus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.