comic vs comedic

pontios

pontios

Well-known member
Εκανα ένα μικρο λαθάκι σε ένα από τα ποστς μου χθες (πες το απροσεξία) , αλλά με την ευκαιρία:

comedic means "relating to comedy," whereas comic means "funny."

(I noticed that I'd written "comic device" where I should have written "comedic device," of course).

Here's proof that it can happen to the best of us, I guess. ;-)

... a thought just crossed my mind now .... is it "comic beats" or "comedic beats?" but, let's not go there.
 
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cougr

cougr

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When it comes to their use as an adjective I think they're pretty much interchangeable, with any distinctions being very subtle. Comedic (as in, for example, "comedic devices") sounds more formal and appears to be the preferred term in academic texts whereas "comic" is readily used in less formal situations and texts, with much the same meaning.
 
antongoun

antongoun

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cougr said:
I think they're pretty much interchangeable
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I agree.
cougr said:
sounds more formal and appears to be the preferred term in academic texts
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The text I am currently translating is an academic one, and the word "comedic" appears only 6 times throughout the book, whereas "comic" appears everywhere. An example of interchangeability we find in the phrases "comic poet(s)" (19) and "comedic poet(s)" (just 2).

pontios said:
(I noticed that I'd written "comic device" where I should have written "comedic device," of course).
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It's interesting that we do find it as "comedic device" in Wiki, and the google results are 3 times more than "comic device", but I think interchangeability is already at work here, too.
 
cougr

cougr

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antongoun said:
It's interesting that we do find it as "comedic device" in Wiki, and the google results are 3 times more than "comic device", but I think interchangeability is already at work here, too
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The interchangeability of the terms is also illustrated in the Wiki entry referred to above. Whereas the term "comedic timing" isn't all that unusual, in the said Wiki entry, they switch from the use of "comedic" to using "comic" when referring to the device of timing (ie.comic timing) and also have a main article on the topic entitled the same.

In regards to "comedic" being the preferred term in academic texts, it was more a general observation rather than a hard and fast rule.
 
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cougr

cougr

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I should add that there are instances where the adjectives "comedic" and "comic" aren't interchangeable. For example, a person could be described as a "comedic person" or "comical person" but with the term "comic person" the connotation changes.
 
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pontios

pontios

Well-known member
Strictly speaking, comedic is correct (or preferred), that's all I'm saying. And, it's always subjective.
I wouldn't use them interchangeably in my instance.

re: a head-to-head google search of comedic v comic, you might have to take into account that half the "comic" results are probably instances where the term has been laxly used (it was used without thinking).

in much the same way:
re: "τα ποστς," έτσι μου ήρθε ... but, in a head-to-head, you'll find as many, if not more google results for "τα ποστς". Even though, strictly speaking, you might be right. (No hard feelings, either way). :-)
 
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pontios

pontios

Well-known member
cougr said:
The interchangeability of the terms is also illustrated in the Wiki entry referred to above. Whereas the term "comedic timing" isn't all that unusual, in the said Wiki entry, they switch from the use of "comedic" to using "comic" when referring to the device of timing (ie.comic timing) and also have a main article on the topic entitled the same.

In regards to "comedic" being the preferred term in academic texts, it was more a general observation rather than a hard and fast rule.
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Here's the thing - and I am mostly referring to the term comedic device (and my query is centred on this - maybe I should change the title), just so we're on the same page - ας μην προτρέχουμε κι ας μην προεξοφλούμε: 🙃

re: comic timing:
I've only ever really thought of it as "comic timing" (not "comedic timing"), but for some reason "comic devices" seemed wrong to me (it made me think of madcap or comical contraptions, etc ...).
 
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cougr

cougr

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pontios said:
Strictly speaking, comedic is correct
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One could also argue the opposite ie. that strictly speaking and depending on context, "comic" is correct. Personally, I used to make distinctions between the two but I've found that by and large- both in everyday speech and in professional journals and other texts- they're used interchangeably. Hence, pick up one book, for example and it uses "comedic timing", another might use "comic timing"(with the same sense). Often they'll be used interchangeably within the same text.

PS: I bet you don't like tragedic as much as you like comedic. 😁
 
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nickel

nickel

Administrator
Staff member
Να θυμηθούμε, με την ευκαιρία, ότι όλα ξεκίνησαν από τον κώμο («εύθυμη διονυσιακή εορτή»), που μας έδωσε το επίθετο κωμικός.
Από τον κωμωδό (τον τραγουδιστή του κώμου, πρβλ. ψαλμωδός, ραψωδός, τραγωδός) φτάσαμε στην κωμωδία. Από την κωμωδία έχουμε διακωμωδώ, διακωμώδηση, αλλά ευτυχώς τίποτα αντίστοιχο του comedic να μας μπερδεύει. ;-)
 
nickel

nickel

Administrator
Staff member
Εμένα πάλι μου γεννήθηκε η απορία τι να είναι αυτό που μας κάνει να προτιμάμε στο ελληνικό τη σειρά κωμικοτραγικός και στο αγγλικό την αντίστροφη: tragicomic...
 
cougr

cougr

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Έχω τη διαίσθηση ότι έχει να κάνει με την αισθητική και την αίσθηση του πράγματος. Δεν μπορώ να το προσδιορίσω επακριβώς αλλά στην περίπτωση του αγγλικού, το tragicomic μου κάθεται καλύτερα. Το "comi", όπως για παράδειγμα στο "comitragic, μου προκαλεί την αίσθηση ότι του λείπει κάτι,* σαν να χρειάζεται συμπλήρωμα με ένα "c" στο τέλος, αν και στην προκειμένη περίπτωση δεν θα λειτουργούσε ωραία ως πρόθεμα (δλδ. ως comictragic).

*Ίσως να οφείλεται στο γεγονός ότι ακουστικά τουλάχιστον, το "comi" με παραπέμπει στο "commie" (δλδ. communist).
 
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pontios

pontios

Well-known member
cougr said:
*Ίσως να οφείλεται στο γεγονός ότι ακουστικά τουλάχιστον, το "comi" με παραπέμπει στο "commie" (δλδ. communist).
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And a commie-tragic (for us Aussies) could conceivably be an unpopular, obsessive and annoying person who bangs on about communism, etc..

tragic
/ˈtradʒɪk/

nounINFORMAL•AUSTRALIAN

a boring or socially inept person, typically having an obsessive and solitary interest.
"at school she's not a complete tragic, but she's not exactly popular either"
 
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anepipsogos

anepipsogos

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nickel said:
Εμένα πάλι μου γεννήθηκε η απορία τι να είναι αυτό που μας κάνει να προτιμάμε στο ελληνικό τη σειρά κωμικοτραγικός και στο αγγλικό την αντίστροφη: tragicomic...
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Ε, όλο και κάποιο «τραγικοκωμικόν/τραγικοκωμικός» βρίσκει κανείς στους παλαιούς, αλλά υποθέτω πως επεκράτησε το αντίστροφο καθώς το πράγμα προσκρούει σε κείνο το δύσηχο/οχληρό «-κοκω- »

https://www.google.com/search?q="τρ...Wegf0HHeL2B9oQ_AUoAXoECAEQCw&biw=1366&bih=625

https://www.google.com/search?q="τρ...T7iBr04HhDy0wN6BAgBEEE&biw=1366&bih=625&dpr=1
 
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