Thursday, June 16, 2011

LANGUAGE .... TRAGEDY

 

"Tragedy" has one of the world's most intriguing unsolved etymologies. We know that the Greek word for Tragedy was tragoidia. This comes from two words: oide, meaning “song” or "ode," and “tragos” meaning “goat."

Yes, "goat." No one knows why on earth a tragedy was called a “goat song." One suggestion is that perhaps a goat was given as a prize at an ancient Greek drama festival, but this has not been confirmed.

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