descant etymology

Etymology

• Origin: Old French descant
• Meaning: Song added to a plainchant
• Root: Latin descendere "to descend, sink"

Meaning

• Originally, a melodic line added to an existing melody (plainchant)
• Later, a melodic line derived from the plainchant and treated independently
• Today, a higher or additional melodic line that accompanies a primary melody

Origin

• Around the 12th century, singers began adding improvised melodic lines to plainchant in liturgical settings.
• These added lines were initially called "discantus" (from Latin dis "apart" + cantus "song").
• Over time, the term "discantus" evolved into "descant" in English.
• As polyphonic music developed, descant became an essential part of the texture, providing a higher and more florid countermelody to the main melody.

descant relate terms

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• disallow

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• discard

  Etymology Middle English discarde from Old French descarder meaning to discard Ul

• spend

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• splay

  Etymology English splay Middle English spleyen Old English splecgan Meaning To

• sport

  Etymology The word sport originates from the following sources Old Provençal des

• disdain

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• Spencer

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• accent

  Etymology From Middle English accent borrowed from Old French accent derived from

• cant

  Etymology From Middle English canten ultimately from Old French chantere to sing

• cantabile

  Etymology Italian cantabile from Latin cantabilis From cantare to sing bi

• cantata

  Etymology Cantata comes from the Italian word cantare meaning to sing Meaning an

• cantatrice

  Etymology The word cantatrice comes from the Italian word cantatrice which in turn

• canticle

  Etymology The word canticle is derived from the Latin canticulum meaning a little

• canto

  Etymology The word canto comes from the Italian word canto which in turn is derived

• cantor

  Etymology The word cantor comes from the Latin word cantor which is derived from the

• canzone

  Etymology Canzone is an Italian word derived from the Latin cantio meaning song

• Carmen

  Etymology and Meaning The name Carmen is of Latin origin and means song or poem It

• chanson

  Etymology French chanson from Old French chanson from Latin cantionem nominati

• chant

  Etymology The word chant originates from the Old French word chanter which in turn

• chanter

  Etymology Middle English chanten from Old French chançon chanter from Late Latin ca

• chanteuse

  Etymology French feminine form of chanteur singer From Old French chantere f

• chanty

  Etymology The word chanty is derived from the Old French word chanter meaning to s

• chanticleer

  Etymology The word chanticleer is derived from the following sources Old English c

• charm

  Etymology Old French charme Latin carmen incantation spell song Proto Indo Euro

• concent

  Etymology The word concent derives from the Latin word concentus which means agree

• descant

  Etymology Origin Old French descant Meaning Song added to a plainchant Root Latin des

• enchant

  Etymology The word enchant derives from the Old French word enchanter which in turn

• enchantment

  Etymology The word enchantment derives from the Old French word enchantement which

• incantation

  Etymology The word incantation derives from the Latin word incantare which means t

• incentive

  Etymology Latin incentivus Indo European ken kenk to urge Meaning Somethi

• oscine

  Etymology Latin oscen Proto Indo European awe awi bird Meaning A type of bir

• precentor

  Etymology The word precentor is derived from the Latin word praecentor which means

• recant

  Etymology The word recant comes from the Latin verb recantare which means to sing b

• warble

  Etymology Middle English warbelen from Old French werbler from Germanic warbilōn

• discourse

  Etymology Discourse n comes from the Old French descourir from the Latin discurrere

• sign

  Etymology The word sign comes from the Latin word signum which means mark token o

• sing

  Etymology Etymology is the study of the origin and development of words It examines the

• discuss

  Etymology is the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have cha

• support

  Etymology Latin supportāre from sub under portāre to carry Proto Indo Eur

• banter

  Etymology Proto Germanic bantrian meaning to dispute quarrel Related to the Old En

• bathroom

• prerogative

  Etymology Middle French prerogative from Latin praerogātīvus from praerogāre t