rhapsody etymology

Etymology:

  • Ancient Greek "rhapsoidos," meaning "one who stitches songs together"
  • Derived from "rhaptein," meaning "to stitch" and "oide," meaning "song"

Meaning:

  • Originally referred to a wandering bard who recited epic poems from memory
  • By the 17th century, it took on the meaning of "an instrumental composition in free form"
  • Today, it is commonly used to describe:
    • A sequence of connected musical pieces
    • A collection of songs or poems that share a common theme

Origin:

  • Ancient Greece, where it was associated with the oral tradition of epic poetry
  • In the Renaissance, composers began using the term "rhapsody" to refer to instrumental works that were not based on a fixed structure
  • Frederic Chopin popularized the "piano rhapsody" in the 19th century
  • In the 20th century, rhapsodies were commonly used in jazz and popular music

rhapsody relate terms

  • rhapsodic

    Etymology Greek rhapsoidein to stitch verses together Meaning Filled with or c

  • rhapsody

    Etymology Ancient Greek rhapsoidos meaning one who stitches songs together Derived

  • rhapsodist

    Etymology Greek ῥαψῳδός rhapsōidós Meaning A person who recited or s

  • rhapsodomancy

    Etymology and Meaning Rhapsodomancy is a word derived from two Greek words Rhapsode

  • tragedy

    Etymology The word tragedy comes from the Ancient Greek word τραγωδία trago

  • schmaltz

    Etymology and Origin of Schmaltz Schmaltz is a culinary fat derived from rendered chi

  • epic

    Etymology The word epic originates from the Ancient Greek word epos which means wo

  • dauphin

    Etymology and Origin The word dauphin derives from the Latin word delphinus meaning

  • martyr

    Etymology The word martyr originates from the Greek word μάρτυς martys whic

  • oxygen

    Etymology The word oxygen is derived from the Greek roots ὀξύς oxys meanin

  • quandary

    Etymology The word quandary comes from the Old French word quandenier which means

  • season

    Etymology The word season derives from the Middle English word sesun which itself co