tune etymology

Etymology:

• Middle English: ton, toune, from Anglo-Norman French tune, toune, from Old French tone, toune, from Latin tonus "tone, sound" (especially a musical tone)
• The musical sense comes from medieval Latin tonus ecclesiasticus "ecclesiastical tone" (originally denoting the way of intoning the words of the liturgy), itself from Greek tonos "tone"

Meaning:

• A melodic line, usually repeated, that forms the basis of a musical composition
• A musical interval, especially a whole tone
• A specific characteristic or pitch of a sound
• A state or condition
• An adjustment or regulation

Origin:

The word "tune" ultimately derives from the Greek word "tonos," which referred to the tension or pitch of a string. In ancient Greek music, the tonos was the basic unit of musical pitch. It was originally used to refer to the tension of a string on a lyre or other stringed instrument, but it came to be used more generally to refer to the pitch of a sound.

The Latin word "tonus" was borrowed from the Greek tonos, and it came to be used in a variety of musical contexts. In medieval Latin, the term "tonus ecclesiasticus" was used to refer to the musical tones used in the liturgy. This term was later borrowed into English as "ecclesiastical tone," and it is still used today to refer to the musical tones used in Christian church music.

The word "tune" was first used in English in the 13th century, and it originally referred to a musical melody. Over time, the meaning of the word expanded to include the other senses listed above.

tune relate terms

• tone

  Etymology Origin Middle English toune from Old English tun meaning enclosed set

• attune

  Etymology Middle English atounen from Old French atoner from Late Latin adtonāre

• tune

  Etymology Middle English ton toune from Anglo Norman French tune toune from Old Fr

• tuning

  Etymology The word tune comes from the Middle English tonen which in turn comes from

• melody

  Etymology Greek μελῳδία melōdía Late Latin melodia Meaning A musical

• recorder

  Etymology The word recorder derives from the Middle French word recorps meaning to

• planxty

  Etymology From Irish planctach collective modern Irish plancaí meaning a lament

• hundredth

  Etymology Old English hund r eðe Proto Germanic hundaraðaz Proto Indo European root

• theme

  Etymology The word theme derives from the Greek word thema θέμα which means s

• idea

  Etymology The word idea is derived from the Greek word idein ἰδεῖν meaning

• fanfare

  Origin Early 17th century from French fanfare flourish of trumpets from fanfare