Where does “microtonalism” come from?
microtonalism (English) comes from English microtonal, 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.
microtonalism (English): The use of microtones in music
Definitions
- The use of microtones in music
Ancestry of “microtonalism”, step by step
microtonalism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English microtonal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | microtonal | Of, relating to, or written using microtones |
| 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 |
via English ism
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ism | An ideology, system of thought, or practice that... |
| 2 | English | -ism | Used to form nouns of action or process or result... |
| 3 | Latin | -ismus | -ism |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ισμός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -μός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -mós | Creates action/result nouns from verb stems |