Where does “atonal” come from?
Atonal comes from English tonal, derived from English a- (prefix meaning "without") and English and, which trace back through Latin ad- and Latin ad to Proto-Indo-European h₂epo and h₂epo, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European al- meaning "to grow" or "to nourish."
atonal (English): Lacking a tonal center or key; Not tonal, lacking...
Definitions
- Lacking a tonal center or key; Not tonal, lacking...
Ancestry of “atonal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tonal | Of or relating to tones or tonality; Of or... |
| 2 | English | tone | A specific pitch; An interval of a major second;... |
| 3 | Middle English | tone | the one |
| 4 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |