tristizia

Italian

Alternative forms

• trestizia (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin trīstitia, derived from trīstis (“sad”). Doublet of tristezza, the inherited counterpart.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /triˈstit.t͡sja/
• Rhymes: -ittsja
• Hyphenation: tri‧stì‧zia

Noun

tristizia f (plural tristizie)

1. (archaic) Synonym of tristezza (“sadness”)
   • 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell], 12th edition (paperback), Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto XXIX, page 431, lines 58–62:

     Non credo ch'a veder maggior tristizia ¶ fosse in Egina il popol tutto infermo, ¶ quando fu l'aere sì pien di malizia, ¶ che li animali, infino al picciol vermo, ¶ cascaron tutti

     I do not think a greater sadness ⁠was in Aegina the whole people sick, when was the air so full of pestilence, the animals, down to the little worm, all fell

2. (literary) wickedness, evil

   Synonyms: cattiveria, malvagità

3. (literary, archaic) misdeed, evil deed

Related terms

• tristo

References

• tristizia in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana