polyphony etymology

Etymology:

The term "polyphony" comes from the Greek words "poly-" (πολύς), meaning "many," and "-phony" (φωνή), meaning "sound" or "voice."

Meaning:

Polyphony refers to music with multiple independent melodic lines played or sung simultaneously. It is often contrasted with monophony (a single melody) and homophony (a dominant melody supported by subordinate chords).

Origin:

Polyphony originated in the 9th century with the development of organum, a technique in which two or more voices sang the same melody at different pitches. By the 12th century, polyphony had become more complex, with different melodies sung simultaneously in different rhythms.

Key Characteristics:

  • Multiple independent melodic lines
  • Interwoven harmonies
  • Can be vocal or instrumental
  • Often used in classical, sacred, and folk music

Famous Examples:

  • Gregorian chant (monophonic)
  • Josquin des Prez's "Ave Maria...Virgo Serena" (polyphonic)
  • Johann Sebastian Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto No. 3" (polyphonic)
  • The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" (homophonic)

polyphony relate terms

  • polyphonic

    Etymology Greek polyphōnos many voiced poly many phōnē voice sound Mean

  • polyphony

    Etymology The term polyphony comes from the Greek words poly πολύς meaning

  • abandon

    Etymology Origin Middle English abandonar from Old French abandoner from Late Latin

  • affable

    Etymology Affable comes from the Latin word affabilis meaning approachable easy to

  • anthem

    Etymology The word anthem comes from the Middle English anteme which in turn derive

  • antiphon

    Etymology Ancient Greek ἀντίφωνος antiphōnos Literally means answering i

  • aphasia

    Etymology Aphemia Greek meaning speechlessness ia Greek suffix indicating a con

  • aphonia

    Etymology and Origin Word Aphonia Etymology Greek words a without phone voice

  • aphonic

    Etymology The word aphonous originates from the Greek word a without and phonos

  • apophasis

    Etymology From Ancient Greek ἀπόφασις apóphasis from ἀπό apó away

  • apophatic

    Etymology Apo Greek for away from or apart from Phatic Greek for pertaining to s

  • banal

    Etymology Latin banalis meaning common ordinary trivial Old French banal Meani

  • bandit

    Etymology The word bandit comes from the Italian word bandito which means exile or

  • banish

    Etymology The word banish comes from the Old French word banir which means to exile

  • banlieue

    Etymology The word banlieue comes from the Old French banlieue which in turn derive

  • banns

    Etymology The word banns originates from Middle English banes which is derived from

  • bifarious

    Etymology Bifarious Latin bi two farius different related to face or form

  • blame

    Etymology The word blame originates from the Middle English word blamen which in tur

  • boon

    Etymology Middle English boun boone Old English bēn Proto Germanic bōnaz Proto I

  • cacophony

    Etymology The word cacophony is derived from the Greek word kakophōnia which is a c

  • confess

    Etymology Middle English confessen from Old French confesser from Latin confessus p

  • contraband

    Etymology Late Middle English from Anglo Norman French contreban literally meaning a

  • defame

    Etymology and Origin of Defame The word defame originates from the Latin word diffa

  • dysphemism

    Etymology Dys Greek prefix meaning bad or difficult Phemism Greek word meaning

  • euphemism

    Etymology Euphemism derives from the Greek words eu good and phemi speak Mean

  • euphony

    Etymology Euphony comes from the Greek word euphōnía meaning sweet sound or soundi

  • fable

    Etymology The word fable derives from the Latin fabula which itself is derived from

  • fabulous

    Etymology The word fabulous originates from the Latin word fabula which means stor

  • fado

    Etymology The word fado is derived from the Latin word fatum meaning fate or dest

  • fairy

    Etymology The word fairy is derived from the Old French word faerie which in turn e

  • fame

    Etymology The word fame traces its roots back to the Latin word fama meaning report

  • famous

    Etymology is the study of the origin of words and how their meanings have changed over tim

  • fandango

    Etymology The word fandango comes from the Portuguese word fandango which in turn is

  • fatal

    Etymology Origin Latin fatalis from fatum fate Meaning Of or relating to fate

  • fate

    Etymology The word fate comes from the Latin word fatum which means prophecy or d

  • fateful

    Etymology The word fateful is derived from the Old English word fætle meaning fat

  • gramophone

  • heterophemy

    Etymology Derived from Greek heteros meaning other different phemē meaning

  • homophone

    Etymology The word homophone is derived from the Greek roots homo meaning same an

  • ineffable

    Etymology The word ineffable comes from the Latin word ineffabilis which means uns

  • infamous

    Etymology The word infamous is derived from the Latin word infamis meaning having

  • infamy

    Etymology Middle English infamie from Old French infamie from Late Latin infamia fro

  • infant

    Etymology The word infant comes from the Latin word infans which means not speaking

  • infantile

    Etymology Latin infans meaning child too young to speak Late Latin infantilis

  • infantry

  • mauvais

    Etymology Mauvais is a French word derived from the Latin word malus meaning bad o

  • megaphone

    Etymology The word megaphone comes from the Greek words megas meaning great and

  • microphone

    Etymology The word microphone is derived from two Greek words μικρός mikros

  • monophonic

    Etymology Mono Greek for single Phonic Greek for sound Meaning Monophonic r

  • nefandous

    Etymology Latin nefandus ne not fari to speak Meaning Wicked abomin

  • nefarious

    Etymology From Latin nefarius from ne not fas right Meaning Wicked e

  • phatic

    Etymology The term phatic etymology is derived from the Greek words phatic relating

  • phone

    Etymology The word phone is derived from the Greek word phōnē meaning sound or

  • phoneme

    Etymology The word phoneme is derived from the Greek words phonēma φώνημα m

  • phonetic

    Phonetic Etymology Phonetic etymology is the study of the relationship between the sounds

  • phonic

    Etymology Greek phone sound etymon true meaning Meaning Phonic etymology

  • phonics

    Etymology and Meaning The word phonics is derived from the Greek word phonos which m

  • phono

    Etymology Greek phōnē sound Meaning Relating to sound or the human voice

  • pheme

    Etymology The word pheme comes from the Greek word φήμη phēmē meaning rumor

  • Polyphemus

    Etymology Poly Greek many phemos pheme phēnai Greek speak tell Meani

  • polyphony

    Etymology The term polyphony comes from the Greek words poly πολύς meaning

  • preface

    Etymology The word preface comes from the Latin word praefatio which means somethi

  • profess

    Etymology The word professor originates from the Latin word professus which means

  • profession

    Etymology The word profession derives from the Latin word professio meaning a public

  • professional

    Etymology Origin Latin Root pro forward fateri to declare or confess Mean

  • professor

    Etymology Origin Latin professor Meaning one who professes Meaning and Origin

  • prophecy

    Etymology The word prophecy is derived from the Greek word propheteia which means

  • prophet

    Etymology Ancient Greek προφήτης prophētēs Latin propheta Meaning A

  • prophetic

    Etymology Greek prophetes προφήτης Latin propheta Old English profeta

  • quadraphonic

    Etymology Quadraphonic is derived from the Greek words Tetra τετρά four Ph

  • symphony

    Etymology The word symphony is derived from the Ancient Greek word συμφωνία

  • telephone

    Etymology The word telephone is derived from two Greek roots Tele τῆλε me

  • xylophone

    Etymology The word xylophone comes from the Greek words xylon ξύλον meaning

  • accomplish

    Etymology From Middle English acomplisshen acomplysshen from Anglo Norman acomplir f

  • complete

    Etymology The word etymology comes from the Greek words étymos meaning true and

  • compliment

    Etymology The word compliment is derived from the Latin word complere which means t

  • comply

    Etymology Old French complir Latin implere to fill Proto Indo European ple

  • depletion

    Etymology Derived from the Latin word deplere meaning to empty completely or to d

  • expletive

    Etymology The word expletive comes from the Latin expletivus meaning filling up I

  • fele

    Etymology Fele is a word with multiple etymological origins depending on its language

  • fill

    Etymology Old English fyllan Proto Germanic fulljan Proto Indo European pleh₂

  • folk

    Meaning of Folk Etymology Folk etymology also known as popular etymology or dubious e

  • full

    Etymology Sanskrit pratipaksha prati against paksha side Meaning Opponen

  • implement

    Etymology Etymology is the study of the origin history and development of words It see

  • manipulation

    Etymology The word manipulation originates from the Latin word manipulus which means

  • nonplus

    Etymology The word nonplus comes from the Latin non not and plus more literal

  • plebe

    Meaning Plebe etymology is the incorrect or folk etymology of a word or phrase which is

  • plebeian

    Etymology Latin plebs common people eius of or belonging to Meaning Ple

  • plebiscite

    Etymology From the Latin plebiscitum meaning a decision made by the plebs Plebs

  • pleiotropy

    Etymology Pleiotropy is derived from Greek pleion πλεῖον means more t

  • Pleistocene

    Etymology The term Pleistocene is derived from two Greek words pleistos most or

  • plenary

    Etymology The word plenary comes from the Latin word plenus which means full or

  • plenitude

    Etymology Late Latin plenitūdō fullness abundance Latin plēnus full Proto

  • plenty

    Etymology and Origin The word plenty derives from the Old French word plenté which

  • plenum

    Etymology Latin plēnus meaning full Meaning A plenum is a space or enclosure t

  • plenipotentiary

    Etymology Latin plēnus full potēns powerful Meaning Having full autho

  • pleo

    Etymology Origin Ancient Greek Meaning Definition Full or numerous Origin and

  • pleonasm

    Etymology From Greek pleonasmos from pleon more redundant asmos a forming format

  • plethora

    Etymology The word plethora comes from the Greek term plethōrē which means fullne

  • Pliocene

    Etymology Greek pleion more kainos new Meaning More recent Origin Th

  • pluperfect

    Etymology From Latin pluperfectus from plus more and perfectus completed finished

  • plural

    Etymology Plural is derived from the Latin word pluralis which means more than one

  • pluri

    Etymology The word pluri is derived from the Latin word plures meaning more or se

  • plus

    Etymology From Old French plus from Latin plus more Latin plus is ultimately d

  • Pollux

    Etymology The name Pollux comes from the Greek word Πολυδεύκης Polydeukes

  • poly

    Etymology The word poly comes from the Greek word polys which means many Meaning

  • polyamorous

    Etymology The word polyamorous is derived from the Greek words poly πολύ meani

  • polyandrous

    Etymology poly Greek many andry Greek husband Meaning Polyandrous refer

  • polyclinic

    Etymology The word polyclinic originates from two Greek roots poly πολύ mea

  • polydipsia

    Etymology Greek poly many excessive dipsia thirst Meaning Exces

  • Polydorus

    Etymology Greek name Πολύδωρος Polydoros meaning having many gifts Mean

  • polyethylene

    Etymology The word polyethylene is derived from the Greek words poly meaning many

  • polyglot

    Etymology Greek poly many glossa language Meaning A person who speaks a

  • polygon

    Etymology The word polygon is derived from the Greek words poly πολύ meaning

  • polygraph

    Etymology The word polygraph is derived from the Greek words polys πολύς

  • polygyny

    Etymology Polygyny is derived from the Greek words poly meaning many gynē me

  • polyhedron

    Etymology Ancient Greek polus many hedron base seat Meaning A polyhedron

  • polyhistor

    Etymology Polyhistor is derived from the Greek words poly meaning many and histo

  • polymath

    Etymology Polymath is derived from the Greek words polys πολύς meaning many

  • polymer

    Etymology The word polymer is derived from the Greek words poly meaning many and

  • polymorphous

    Etymology Polymorphous Derived from Greek poly many and morph form Etymology

  • Polynesia

    Etymology and Meaning Poly Ancient Greek many nesia Ancient Greek island

  • polyp

    Etymology The word polyp is derived from the Greek word polupous which means many

  • Polyphemus

    Etymology Poly Greek many phemos pheme phēnai Greek speak tell Meani

  • polyphony

    Etymology The term polyphony comes from the Greek words poly πολύς meaning

  • polysemy

    Etymology Polysemy comes from the Greek words poly meaning many and sema meanin

  • polysyllabic

    Etymology Poly Greek meaning many Syllable Greek meaning a unit of pronunciation

  • polytheism

    Etymology Derived from the Greek words poly meaning many and theos meaning go

  • replenish

    Etymology Latin replenire to fill up again re prefix meaning back plenus

  • replete

    Etymology The word replete comes from the Latin word repletus which is the past part

  • supply

    Etymology Middle English supplien from Old French suplir supllier from Latin supp

  • surplus

    Etymology The word surplus derives from the Old French word surplus which itself co

  • volkslied

    Etymology The term Volkslied is a German compound word that consists of Volk Ge

  • counterpoint

    Etymology Counter Latin against opposite to Point Latin a point a note Meaning

  • music

    Etymology and Meaning of Music The word music comes from the Greek word mousike wh

  • monophonic

    Etymology Mono Greek for single Phonic Greek for sound Meaning Monophonic r

  • intrinsic

    Etymology Intrinsic comes from the Latin word intrinsecus meaning within or int

  • integrate

    Etymology is the study of the origin and history of words It involves tracing the develop

  • mirage

    Etymology The word mirage comes from the Latin word mirari meaning to wonder at o

  • commodity

    Etymology The word commodity is derived from the Latin term commoditas which means

  • obliterate

    Etymology The word obliterate derives from the Latin verb obliterare meaning to blo

  • bruise

    Etymology The word bruise comes from the Old French word bruisier meaning to crush or

  • regret

    Etymology Old French regretter Late Latin regretari meaning to murmur complain Po