Dramma

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A form of theatrical performance characterized by serious themes and emotional narratives
2. A type of play or dramatic work that often explores profound and weighty subjects through dialogue and action
3. A theatrical genre focusing on intense personal conflicts and the complexities of character interactions

Etymology: "Dramma" is the Italian word for "drama" itself, and it is the form that gave English the word in the first place. The Italian noun comes from Late Latin "drama," which in turn was borrowed from Greek "drama" (δρᾶμα), meaning "deed" or "action," from the verb "dran," "to do." The Greeks chose the word because a play was something enacted on stage rather than merely recited, so the term centered on performed action from the beginning. In Italian, "dramma" has a particular history in music. Around 1600, when Florentine circles were reviving Greek tragedy, the new sung stage works were called "dramma per musica," or "drama for music." That phrase became the standard name for Italian opera seria through the eighteenth century, so for many Italian speakers the word still carries a musical association, even though it can also refer to any serious play.

Synonyms: drama, play, theatrical work, performance

Antonyms: comedy, farce