What does cothurnus mean?
The cothurnus was the high, thick-soled boot worn by actors performing in ancient Greek and Roman tragedy. Raised on these platform shoes, a tragic performer could appear imposing and heroic even beside comic actors, who wore only light, flat slippers known as socci — the proverbial 'sock' of comedy. Because the boot was inseparable from the tragic stage, writers came to use 'cothurnus' figuratively for tragedy itself, and for any deliberately grand, lofty, or inflated style of speech or writing; to 'mount the cothurnus' is to adopt such a manner. Today the word survives mainly in literary criticism, classical studies, and learned prose, where its rarity is part of its appeal. Its plural is 'cothurni', and related forms include 'cothurned' and 'cothurnian'. For readers interested in the vocabulary of drama, it pairs naturally with 'buskin', its common English synonym.
A thick-soled, high boot worn by actors in ancient Greek and Roman tragedy.
"The actor's cothurni added nearly half a foot to his stature on stage."
Usually encountered in the plural 'cothurni' when referring to the physical boots.
Figuratively, tragedy or a grandly elevated style of drama or writing, as distinct from comedy.
"He could write sharp farce as easily as he could mount the cothurnus."
Almost always used with reference to the classical tragedy/comedy contrast.
Standard English plural follows the Latin second declension; 'cothurnuses' is not used.
"Fragments of painted cothurni have been recovered from Roman theatres."
Ancient tragic actors literally stood taller than comedians — their platform boots, the cothurni, could add several inches, which is why 'cothurnus' still means pompous elevation today.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cothurnus
Cothurnus comes from Latin cothurnus, itself borrowed from Greek kothornos, the name for the elevated boot of tragic performers. The word entered English in the early modern period, when Renaissance scholars drew heavily on classical terminology for rhetoric and drama. From the stage it extended figuratively to mean tragedy or an elevated style, much as 'buskin' did. The ultimate origin of the Greek word is uncertain.
Related word forms
How cothurnus is actually used
A rare, learned word found chiefly in literary criticism and classical scholarship. It carries an air of erudition and is most at home in discussions of dramatic genre and register. The plural is 'cothurni'.
Easily confused with cothurnus
In classical theatre terminology, the 'sock' (soccus) was the flat shoe of comedy, the opposite counterpart to the elevated cothurnus of tragedy.