Where does “atonality” come from?
atonality (English) comes from English atonal, from English tonal, from English tone, from Middle English tone, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος, from Proto-Hellenic tónos, from Proto-Indo-European tónos — to stretch, to extend.
atonality (English): A style of music that is written without a key; A...
Definitions
- A style of music that is written without a key; A...
Ancestry of “atonality”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | atonal | Lacking a tonal center or key; Not tonal, lacking... |
| 2 | English | tonal | Of or relating to tones or tonality; Of or... |
| 3 | English | tone | A specific pitch; An interval of a major second;... |
| 4 | Middle English | tone | the one |
| 5 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |